Lea Glob’s ‘Apolonia, Apolonia’, an exploration of what’s at stake in an artist’s life, wins the International Competition at IDFA 2022.
IDFA: International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam
11/17/2021
Festival Reviews
Colette and Justin
Alain Kassanda connects Congolese history to family history in this revealing debut documentary.
Money, Freedom, a Story of CFA Franc
Lena Ndiaye’s documentary may be the most important contemporary document on Francophone Africa’s malignant economic relations with France.
Paradise
In stunning images, Alexander Abaturov’s debut shows global warming heroes in far-flung northeastern Siberia, abandoned by the Russian government.
Much Ado About Dying
Simon Chambers’ family-filming-family masterpiece is a tender and often funny chronicle of a dying man who secretes his brilliant charisma every moment the camera finds him awake.
Stuntwomen
A fascinating and troubling behind-the-scenes look into the work of female stuntwomen, who must frequently portray victims at the hands of violent men.
Manifesto
A profoundly disturbing found-footage assemblage portraying a young Russian live-streaming generation brainwashed by militarised education and normalised violence.
Apolonia, Apolonia
A multi-layered, intensely personal exploration of what’s at stake in an artistic life, through a sprawling portrait of French painter Apolonia Sokol.
All You See
A highly stylised, thought-provoking meditation on being stared at without being truly seen, as female immigrants to the Netherlands reflect on their experiences across generations.
Aurora’s Sunrise
A powerful, accessible blend of animation and archive that bears witness to the Armenian genocide through the eyes of survivor and Hollywood silent star Aurora Mardiganian.
F@ck This Job
Vera Krichevskaya’s lively documentary ‘F@ck This Job’ chronicles how a rebellious gang of champagne-loving Moscow socialites ended up running the last independent TV news channel in Putin’s increasingly repressive Russia.
Shabu
Through its boisterous main character, Shamira Raphaëla’s ‘Shabu’ represents a break from the clichéd images of Black experience in the West.
The Last Shelter
A sobering look at African migrants waylaid between their homelands and the dangerous trek to Europe.
A Thousand Fires
Family life in rural Myanmar is intimately explored in this earnest if somewhat obtuse chronicle.
Zinder
Aicha Macky’s superb documentary about the impoverished citizens of Zinder, in the Republic of Niger, bends towards compassion for a neglected people.
The Hostilities
The winner of Morelia’s best documentary award is a raw, honest chronicle of the violence afflicting Mexico, seen through the lives of the filmmaker’s own family.
Words of Negroes
Workers in an outdated sugar cane factory in Guadeloupe read from the transcripts of an 1842 trial against a slave owner in Sylvaine Dampierre’s powerful act of reclaiming history, Words of Negroes. Stunningly shot by Renaud Personnaz in crisp, vivid images, the film...
May God Be With You
The act of exile is never a single-generation event; its ever-mutating ramifications shift down the family tree, undergoing a change as each generation grapples with questions of identity and belonging. Given that the person who flees their country often rejects...
Marx Can Wait
The most fascinating aspect of Marco Bellocchio’s guilt-streaked revisitation of the suicide of his twin brother in 1968 is the insight it offers into the Italian master’s creative font–his own family.
A Night of Knowing Nothing
A haunting low-fi meditation on memory, social class and political protest that won the Golden Eye documentary award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Listening to Kenny G
One of the best-selling instrumentalists of all time is both unaware and charming in Penny Lane’s engaging documentary.
Children of the Mist
This disturbingly voyeuristic look at the ancient tradition of bride kidnappings, which happen at an astounding young age, won IDFA’s best director nod for Diem Ha Le.
Tonight’s Homework
Abbas Kiarostami’s trailblazing ‘Homework’ (1989) gets a brilliant update in a documentary that is equal parts hilarious and saddening in its portrayal of Iranian schoolkids.
Darkness There and Nothing More
Tea Tupajic’s documentary will find its audience among those for whom Srebrenica and other European brutalities have never really ended.
Ironland
An outcry against man-made environmental disasters, tracking the long-term effects on the survivors of the biggest dam collapse in Brazil.
Taamaden
Mali-born filmmaker Seydou Cissé comes at the theme of African immigration through the lens of spirituality.
Day After…
The second film in Kamar Ahmad Simon’s ‘Water Trilogy’ is redeemed by its selection of characters.
Where Are We Headed?
The pitch of the documentary Where Are We Headed seems tailor-made for international festivals, as it offers a look at colourful and fascinating creatures from all layers of Russian society through the prism of the Moscow subway system. With a clearly defined space...
In the Billowing Night
A melancholic, intimate exploration of the personal cost of migration, told by the filmmaker’s father, who left the island of Réunion in his youth.
IDFA 2022: The Awards
Lea Glob’s ‘Apolonia, Apolonia’, an exploration of what’s at stake in an artist’s life, wins the International Competition at IDFA 2022.
Colette and Justin
Alain Kassanda connects Congolese history to family history in this revealing debut documentary.
Money, Freedom, a Story of CFA Franc
Lena Ndiaye’s documentary may be the most important contemporary document on Francophone Africa’s malignant economic relations with France.
Paradise
In stunning images, Alexander Abaturov’s debut shows global warming heroes in far-flung northeastern Siberia, abandoned by the Russian government.
Much Ado About Dying
Simon Chambers’ family-filming-family masterpiece is a tender and often funny chronicle of a dying man who secretes his brilliant charisma every moment the camera finds him awake.
Stuntwomen
A fascinating and troubling behind-the-scenes look into the work of female stuntwomen, who must frequently portray victims at the hands of violent men.
Manifesto
A profoundly disturbing found-footage assemblage portraying a young Russian live-streaming generation brainwashed by militarised education and normalised violence.
Apolonia, Apolonia
A multi-layered, intensely personal exploration of what’s at stake in an artistic life, through a sprawling portrait of French painter Apolonia Sokol.
All You See
A highly stylised, thought-provoking meditation on being stared at without being truly seen, as female immigrants to the Netherlands reflect on their experiences across generations.
Aurora’s Sunrise
A powerful, accessible blend of animation and archive that bears witness to the Armenian genocide through the eyes of survivor and Hollywood silent star Aurora Mardiganian.
Awards Corner
IDFA
- Award for Best Film
Mr. Landsbergis (Lithuania, Netherlands)
Director: Sergei Loznitsa - Award for Best Directing
Children of the Mist (Vietnam)
Director: Diem Ha Le - Award for Best Cinematography
Where Are We Headed (Russia, Belarus)
Ruslan Fedotow - Award for Best Editing
Mr. Landsbergis (Lithuania, Netherlands)
Danielius Kokanauskis - Award for Best Youth Documentary
Shabu (Netherlands, Belgium)
Director: Shamira Raphaela - Best Dutch Film for
Jason (Netherlands)
Director: Maasja Ooms - Best Film for Envision competition
Octopus (Lebanon)
Director: Karim Kassem - Best Directing for Envision competition
O, Collecting Eggs Despite the Times (Netherlands)
Director: Pim Zwier - Outstanding Artistic Contribution for Envision competition
One Take Grace (South Africa)
Director: Lindiwe Matshikiza