‘Variations on a Theme’ Wins at Rotterdam: ‘Thoughtful and Moving’
“Variations on a Theme,” directed by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar, won the Tiger Competition at International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Walking away with the Tiger Award, worth €40,000, the film – about Ouma Hettie, a goat herder in South Africa – was praised by jurors Soheila Golestani, Marcelo Gomes, Ariane Labed, Kristy Matheson and Jurica Pavičić for its “deep poetic language.”
“We found this to be a thoughtful and moving portrait of a community living under the specter of colonial legacies and familial bonds in this world and the next.”
Two Special Jury Awards, worth €10,000 each, went to “La Belle Année” by Angelica Ruffier – “A very unique voice who made us travel through generations charged with loneliness with absolute honesty and radical tenderness” – and Ana Urushadze’s “Supporting Role.”
The latter sees a faded star eyeing a possible comeback and encountering all sorts of ghosts from his past.
“Relishing in the detail and texture of the city, the beauty of chance encounter and deeply felt emotion of reconciling the past. The jury were impressed by the way this film deftly uses the craft of acting as a lens through which to explore the complexities of how we move through the world,” they stated.
It also received a FIPRESCI Award. It’s Urushadze’s second feature following the well-received “Scary Mother.”
In the Big Screen Competition, “Master” by Rezwan Shahriar Sumit was named the winner.
“This is a universal story about a person striving to hold on to their moral compass, only to be reshaped by the persuasive and destructive forces of power and capitalism. What begins as a seemingly straightforward tale of idealism vs corruption unfolds into something far more complex and layered,” said jurors Jan-Willem van Ewijk, Sara Ishaq, Loes Luca, Chris Oosterom and Mila Schlingemann.
As stated by festival director Vanja Kaludjercic, this year’s edition combined “the most avant-garde and the most popular films.”
“The perception of IFFR as an event with edgy and unconventional cinema isn’t wrong. But it’s just one part of a much bigger truth,” she told Variety, also pointing out the event’s commitment to spotlighting art.
Carlos Casas – behind “Krakatoa,” shown as both film and art installation – said: “The need to present the film in different formats arises from the expansive nature of the research, which encompasses sound, vibration, light, and image. Multiple formats allow the different dimensions and possibilities of the project to emerge. I value the idea of a project with a myriad of outputs, where all aspects of the research can fully come to life.”
“For me, the work is about finding new ways to affect the spectator’s physiology through sound, light, and image – using the platforms both as seating and as zones where one can choose between a more traditional cinematic experience or a more immersive, sensorial one.”
Apart from its successful launch of Cate Blanchett-backed the Displacement Film Fund – championing the work of displaced filmmakers – the event also welcomed the likes of John Lithgow, presenting “Jimpa,” “The Secret Agent” director Kleber Mendonça Filho, Yousry Nasrallah, Valeria Golino and Palestinian actor Hiam Abbass.
Abbass opened up about her experiences during one of the festival’s Big Talks.
“What was my first time in front of the screen? I remember being in my village, seeing people running with their chairs to the center – there was a big screen, I don’t even know who put it up there, and I was just there, looking at this thing that was so magical,” she recalled.
“As a Palestinian who grew up with a huge inheritance of injustice […] and trying to exist as a woman for myself and not for the others, any space that allowed that became a space of freedom,” she said, calling acting “a cherished place to be.” “That was a win for a little girl that I was, dreaming of a different life and a different place to exist in, in order to get rid of all the political and social pressure that was put on my shoulders.”
The anniversary 55th edition of the festival took place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 8.
You can find the full list of awards here:
Tiger Competition
Tiger Award
“Variations on a Theme” by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar (South Africa, Netherlands, Qatar)
Special Jury Awards
“La Belle Année” by Angelica Ruffier (Sweden, Norway)
“Supporting Role” by Ana Urushadze (Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States)
Big Screen Competition
“Master” by Rezwan Shahriar Sumit (Bangladesh)
FIPRESCI Award
“Supporting Role” by Ana Urushadze (Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States)
NETPAC Award
“i grew an inch when my father died” by P. R. Monencillo Patindol (Philippines)
Special Mention
“The Seoul Guardians” by Kim Jong-Woo, Kim Shin-Wan and Cho Chul-Young (South Korea)
Youth Jury Award
“Ah Girl” by Ang Geck Geck Priscilla (Singapore)
Walking away with the Tiger Award, worth €40,000, the film – about Ouma Hettie, a goat herder in South Africa – was praised by jurors Soheila Golestani, Marcelo Gomes, Ariane Labed, Kristy Matheson and Jurica Pavičić for its “deep poetic language.”
“We found this to be a thoughtful and moving portrait of a community living under the specter of colonial legacies and familial bonds in this world and the next.”
Two Special Jury Awards, worth €10,000 each, went to “La Belle Année” by Angelica Ruffier – “A very unique voice who made us travel through generations charged with loneliness with absolute honesty and radical tenderness” – and Ana Urushadze’s “Supporting Role.”
The latter sees a faded star eyeing a possible comeback and encountering all sorts of ghosts from his past.
“Relishing in the detail and texture of the city, the beauty of chance encounter and deeply felt emotion of reconciling the past. The jury were impressed by the way this film deftly uses the craft of acting as a lens through which to explore the complexities of how we move through the world,” they stated.
It also received a FIPRESCI Award. It’s Urushadze’s second feature following the well-received “Scary Mother.”
In the Big Screen Competition, “Master” by Rezwan Shahriar Sumit was named the winner.
“This is a universal story about a person striving to hold on to their moral compass, only to be reshaped by the persuasive and destructive forces of power and capitalism. What begins as a seemingly straightforward tale of idealism vs corruption unfolds into something far more complex and layered,” said jurors Jan-Willem van Ewijk, Sara Ishaq, Loes Luca, Chris Oosterom and Mila Schlingemann.
As stated by festival director Vanja Kaludjercic, this year’s edition combined “the most avant-garde and the most popular films.”
“The perception of IFFR as an event with edgy and unconventional cinema isn’t wrong. But it’s just one part of a much bigger truth,” she told Variety, also pointing out the event’s commitment to spotlighting art.
Carlos Casas – behind “Krakatoa,” shown as both film and art installation – said: “The need to present the film in different formats arises from the expansive nature of the research, which encompasses sound, vibration, light, and image. Multiple formats allow the different dimensions and possibilities of the project to emerge. I value the idea of a project with a myriad of outputs, where all aspects of the research can fully come to life.”
“For me, the work is about finding new ways to affect the spectator’s physiology through sound, light, and image – using the platforms both as seating and as zones where one can choose between a more traditional cinematic experience or a more immersive, sensorial one.”
Apart from its successful launch of Cate Blanchett-backed the Displacement Film Fund – championing the work of displaced filmmakers – the event also welcomed the likes of John Lithgow, presenting “Jimpa,” “The Secret Agent” director Kleber Mendonça Filho, Yousry Nasrallah, Valeria Golino and Palestinian actor Hiam Abbass.
Abbass opened up about her experiences during one of the festival’s Big Talks.
“What was my first time in front of the screen? I remember being in my village, seeing people running with their chairs to the center – there was a big screen, I don’t even know who put it up there, and I was just there, looking at this thing that was so magical,” she recalled.
“As a Palestinian who grew up with a huge inheritance of injustice […] and trying to exist as a woman for myself and not for the others, any space that allowed that became a space of freedom,” she said, calling acting “a cherished place to be.” “That was a win for a little girl that I was, dreaming of a different life and a different place to exist in, in order to get rid of all the political and social pressure that was put on my shoulders.”
The anniversary 55th edition of the festival took place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 8.
You can find the full list of awards here:
Tiger Competition
Tiger Award
“Variations on a Theme” by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar (South Africa, Netherlands, Qatar)
Special Jury Awards
“La Belle Année” by Angelica Ruffier (Sweden, Norway)
“Supporting Role” by Ana Urushadze (Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States)
Big Screen Competition
“Master” by Rezwan Shahriar Sumit (Bangladesh)
FIPRESCI Award
“Supporting Role” by Ana Urushadze (Georgia, Estonia, Turkey, Switzerland, United States)
NETPAC Award
“i grew an inch when my father died” by P. R. Monencillo Patindol (Philippines)
Special Mention
“The Seoul Guardians” by Kim Jong-Woo, Kim Shin-Wan and Cho Chul-Young (South Korea)
Youth Jury Award
“Ah Girl” by Ang Geck Geck Priscilla (Singapore)