Laurel Prize-2024 nominees (longlist)
8
movies
Lavr
October 23, 2024
In the 2024 LAVR Documentary Film Award competition, 245 applications were registered that met the eligibility criteria. The primary focus was on the single category, "Cinema of the Future," which considered debut works across all cinematic styles and directions, as well as films that aimed to advance the cinematic language, regardless of the age or professional experience of the applicant.
On October 21, 2024, a jury comprising Vitaly Mansky, Victoria Belopolskaya, Alina Rudnitskaya, Elena Laskari, Irina Vasilyeva, Andrey Erastov, and Denis Shabaev convened to discuss the results of the preliminary selection of films submitted to the competition. Before making a decision, the jury engaged in a detailed discussion of the selection principles and their interpretation of the "Cinema of the Future" nomination's regulations. Despite a dissenting opinion from Victoria Belopolskaya, eight films advanced to the next stage, which will involve a closed vote by the grand jury.
On October 21, 2024, a jury comprising Vitaly Mansky, Victoria Belopolskaya, Alina Rudnitskaya, Elena Laskari, Irina Vasilyeva, Andrey Erastov, and Denis Shabaev convened to discuss the results of the preliminary selection of films submitted to the competition. Before making a decision, the jury engaged in a detailed discussion of the selection principles and their interpretation of the "Cinema of the Future" nomination's regulations. Despite a dissenting opinion from Victoria Belopolskaya, eight films advanced to the next stage, which will involve a closed vote by the grand jury.
Amadou, a young Black man from Guinea, is seeking to build a new life in Moscow, searching for the 'European dream' and a place to call home. After leaving his girlfriend behind, he moves to Germany, only to find that life there is just as challenging. Will Amadou find his true home, or will his journey continue?
7
Russia, 2024
75 min
Russian, French, German, English, Fula, Wolof
Russian, English
The last thing Armenian citizens in 2022 expected was that their new neighbors would be thousands of Russians who fled Russia out of conscience or fear of ending up in Ukrainian black soil. Russian propaganda declares them traitors and calls on "those who remained" to unite in hatred against "those who left for warm countries". But are these countries warm? And can’t the "left" themselves cope with their own hatred without help from others? The only thing left to say is "k’nerek" ("sorry").
7
Armenia, 2024
76 min
Russian
English
Katya has worked at the Sumarovskaya Elk Farm for 20 years, where she is responsible for delivering calves from female elks. Although her duties can sometimes be harsh, she loves her job and is devoted to her son, aspiring to provide him with a better future like any mother would.
7
Russia, 2023
64 min
Russian
English
Antarctica. What is it, where is it? When life presents photographer Grigory Yaroshenko with a chance to get there and get acquainted with the life of polar explorers, he has no choice. It's like going to the moon. Would anyone refuse? No, no one would refuse... but his wife is expecting a second child, and then his life turns completely upside down. The film is about male self-identification in modern society, about the ability of men and women to accept new challenges, maintain and change their gender roles in the family.
8
Russia, 2024
94 min
Russian
English
In the late 90s, Nadya fled domestic violence from her family in northern Kazakhstan. Now, 20 years later, she returns to confront her greatest fear—revisiting the trauma she escaped and facing the people and memories she left behind.
8
Russia, Germany, Kazakhstan, 2024
79 min
Russian
English
A story of environmental disaster, a disappearing people, and one strong-willed woman. The once lush Nogai steppe in northern Dagestan is rapidly turning into an endless desert. Gulfira, a humble village woman, is leading the fight against the environmental catastrophe threatening her homeland. Each autumn, the team she leads ventures deep into the new desert for months at a time. Walking kilometers each day, they plant thin rods in the dry sand, hoping the bushes will take root and halt the spread of the dunes. Will Gulfira prevail in this battle against the elements? Can the Nogai people and their land survive?
9
Russia, 2024
80 min
Nogai, Russian
English
Gelya is savoring the carefree moments of her youth. Her 17-year-old sister, already a mother, is expecting her second child, and it seems that Gelya’s future is expected to follow the same path. As she walks with a boy who is in love with her, she chooses to trap herself in an elevator with her past, present, and future—her ex, her current companion, and the possibilities that lie ahead. She gets tipsy on strawberry beer and, overcome by unrequited love, sheds tears while sitting on the lap of someone who adores her. Eventually, Gelya heads home, just as her sister returns from the maternity hospital.
7
Russia, 2024
30 min
Russian
An experimental documentary film that delves into the intricate facets of the issue of human dignity humiliation in Russia. The directors provide audiences with an unconventional perspective on situations where individuals are compelled to issue on-camera apologies for their words or actions. Through this experimental narrative approach, viewers will witness how it has become commonplace in modern Russia to extract apologies on camera. Some instances will evoke genuine sympathy as people grapple with public scrutiny. Simultaneously, other scenes will unveil the darker side of this trend, where apologies devolve into mere puppetry, extracted under the threat of personal and professional repercussions. The film incorporates a range of videos capturing moments of sincere apologies driven by a genuine acknowledgment of one's mistakes.
9
Russia, 2024
83 min
Russian
English
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