68th International Film Festival Venice

Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica
31.08.2011 to 10.09.2011
Venice

At the 68th Film Festival Venice, the Mostra internazionale d’arte cinematografica, from August 31-September 10, 2011, an INTERFILM jury awarded a Prize for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue for the first time. The award will support films which empower understanding, respect, sympathy and peace between people of different origins, histories, and beliefs. "Witnessing rising tensions and deep-rooted prejudice between religious groups in several regions of our world, INTERFILM intends the award to be a sign for the better: for sharing our hopes and our anxieties, for acknowledging the other as our neighbour, and for trusting in the power of artistic imagination to overcome suspicion and hostility", the preamble of the prize regulations says. By the new INTERFILM jury the organisation follows its aim to join church and cinema, cultures and religions.

In past years at the Venice Film Festival INTERFILM has organized a number of discussion forums focussing on the cinema of China, Iran, and Russia. For this year INTERFILM presented a panel on actual Arab cinema. Partner organisations of the event were the Catholic Fondazione Ente dello Spettacolo and the Associazione protestante del cinema Roberto Sbaffi.

Award of the INTERFILM Jury

Swirl
2011
The film tells the story of Bastu, an 81 years old woman living in a little Brazilian village, who has to deal with the death of her husband.
By choosing a character who is wise, humorous, sensitive, and autonomous, the film offers a message which integrates life and death, individuality and social relationships.
Through a delicate cinematography of lights and shadows, music and sounds, the film adopts a liberating perspective which shows religious practices and beliefs as essential dimensions of life.

More about the festival

Heike Kühn, film critic and INTERFILM member, writes about outstanding films of the Venice Film Festival 2011, about the Golden Lion winner in particular.

More photos

Stills "Girimunho"

© Lis Kogan

Stills from "Girimunho". To start the slideshow please click on the image