The competitions of the 54th edition of Visions du Réel came to a close this evening, Friday 28 April, at the award ceremony. Swiss-Canadian director Peter Mettler won the Grand Prix of the International Feature Film Competition with While the Green Grass Grows, an extraordinary project that will consist of seven parts once completed – two of which were presented as a world premiere. This is the second time Peter Mettler has won this award. The Burning Lights Competition was won by Knit’s Island, shot entirely from inside a video game, as further proof of the section’s future-oriented positioning. The National Competition’s chosen winner was Chagrin Valley, a debut film…

Vision du Réel : Film « EART THE NEW MARS » By: Liliana Colombo 2022, United Kingdom, Italy, 40 min Following the Perseverance Rover space mission launched by the Nasa Exploration Program in July 2020, to monitor the geology and the past climate on planet Mars, a group of inspired Martian astronauts decide to launch mission Mercy to study the geology and climate on planet Earth. Earth the new Mars is a satirical take on climate change, in which a group of inspired Martian astronauts decide to launch a mission to planet Earth to study its geology and climate following the Perseverance Rover space mission launched by the Nasa Exploration…

Among the films presented in the VdR Film Market, one Chilean movie stand out: “Nothing is like before” directed by Sebastián Pereira and produced by LaWarrior Films. Synopsis An emblematic Chilean theater company with over 25 years of performing had to reinvent itself to survive the health crisis. While waiting for the theaters (and the world) to reopen, they found a way to move forward and to perform in person again, accepting something entirely new for them; an audio-visual version of the Shakespearean classic “Romeo and Juliet”. This documentary is the record of a profound artistic process; the presence of cameras creates new challenges for the company, the play, and…

DNF: Your film has just had its world premiere in the “International Competition of Feature Films” section of Visions du Réel tell me, how do you look yourself your film? DNF: Your film has just had its world premiere in the “International Competition of Feature Films” section of Visions du Réel. Tell me, how do you look at your film? Pablo: It’s a film about reconciliation with your own identity. But it’s also a film about the impossibility and the need for communication.  Alicia (the character in the film): For me, it is important to give a voice to those who normally don’t have one. People who are silenced by…

Eat Bitter, a feature documentary, directed by two local women (Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Ningyi Sun) and produced by Mathieu Faure, is having its Swiss premiere at Vision du Réel (Grand Angle competition)! The film features two Chinese and Central African families and was shot in Bangui, Central African Republic, and Feicheng, China. Eat Bitter team is seeking distribution opportunities and is ready to meet potential partners and buyers during the festival! The screening times and locations are Théâtre de Marens on April 25 (3:30pm) and  Grande Salle, April 28 (10:00am). If you can’t make it to the screenings, we are more than happy to provide a private screener. Director Ningyi…

This evening, Visions du Réel celebrated Argentine filmmaker Lucrecia Martel by awarding her its highest distinction: the 2023 Honorary Prize. The award was presented with emotion by French filmmaker Céline Sciamma, who travelled to the Festival specially for the occasion. A large audience assembled to witness the ceremony for this key figure of contemporary cinema. The evening continued with the screening of Martel’s first feature film: La ciénaga. The Festival continues to pay homage to her tomorrow 25 April with her Masterclass (at 2 pm), the capacity of which has been increased to meet public demand (see below). The discussion is moderated by selection committee member Violeta Bava, artistic director Emilie…

The official 2023 selection, the real is out there  Visions du Réel has unveiled the official selection for its 54th edition (21 to 30 April 2023). It is a powerful and dazzling programme that showcases the strength of contemporary non-fiction filmmaking. In all, 163 films – including 82 world premieres, 11 international premieres, 2 European premieres and 26 Swiss premieres – offer a panorama that often challenges the boundaries between fiction and reality. 46 countries are represented in the selection, while 37 Swiss (co)productions are featured in all sections of the Festival, highlighting the fertile momentum of Swiss documentary production. The programme is complemented by three main guests: Argentinian filmmaker…