“SILVER” WINS BEST DIRECTION AWARD
Natalia Koniarz has received the award for Best Director for her film 'Silver' in the Baltic Focus competition at the latest edition of the International Documentary Film Festival IDFF Artdocfest/Riga. This section showcases the most compelling films from the Baltic Sea region and presents the HERZ Award as its principal prize, commemorating the Latvian documentary filmmaker Herz Franks.
This marks the latest in a series of international successes for Natalia Koniarz's Silver. The film was recently honoured with The Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize at this year's edition of the Slamdance festival, where it had its US premiere, and prior to that it triumphed in multiple categories at Ji.hlava and the Krakow Film Festival.
IDFF Artdocfest/Riga presents a diverse programme of contemporary documentary cinema, providing a space for bold and timely subjects whilst fostering dialogue and collaboration between filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals.
Silver takes viewers deep into Cerro Rico, the oldest silver mine in Bolivia – a site marked by centuries of violence and exploitation. In this underground world of silence and darkness, we discover reality through, among others, the perspectives of a boy, an experienced miner, and a woman. The film interweaves personal stories with a reflection on colonial legacy and a mechanism of exploitation lasting to this day, paying tribute to memory and human resilience.
The film is a Polish-Finnish-Norwegian co-production. The Polish producer is Maciej Kubicki (Telemark). International festival distribution is handled by KFF Sales.
You can find more information about the remaining award recipients right here.