Two films, the IFFI 52 Indian Panorama Feature film Godavari by Director Nikhil Mahajan, and the Portugese film The First Fallen / Os Primeiros Soldados by Rodrigo de Oliveira, have been honoured with the Silver Peacock for Special Jury Award.
The Special Jury Award is given to a film (for any aspect of the film which the jury wishes to award or acknowledge) or an individual (for his/her artistic contribution to a film). The award, when given to a film, is given to the director of the film.
“Godavari is an unbelievable metaphoric depiction of the mighty river”
Nikhil Mahajan’s Godavari tells the story of one man’s philosophical quest to preserve age-old traditions and culture, inspired and triggered by his relationship with the river Godavari. Here is how the jury has characterized the film, which aims to provide posterity with a snapshot of the situation of the river in the year 2020. “Godavari is an unbelievable metaphoric depiction of mighty river Godavari, how in changing time, rivers can become filthy.” The protagonist experiences fury and inner turmoil, reflecting on the extent of pollution in the holy river, which makes its water unsafe for drinking. The inner state of the lead character is depicted in a very powerful way through his own life-changing events, notes the jury.
The First Fallen is Director Rodrigo de Oliveira’s passionate and courageous attempt to chronicle the untold stories of suffering and discrimination suffered by the sexual minorities in 1980s Brazil, shares. The film is a portrait of the past that is at once long gone as well as very current. Brazilian actress and assistant director has received the Special Jury Award for her contribution to the film, which according to the jury, is “beyond just performance”. The jury commends her for making the complications of the situation and time of the society very authentic.
