30th Kolkata International Film Festival

Motivation: “We are awarding the prize to a film that deals with universal themes such as migration, exclusion and the eternal problem of the ‘scapegoat’ in times of crisis in an extraordinarily creative way. And not only through a narrative that explains the big world through a small community and a strong ensemble cast, right down to the supporting roles, but also through unusually strong camerawork that combines the core elements of the narrated story into a successful whole in a painterly and transcendental way – and supported by a subtle score. At the same time, Tarika by director Milko Lazarov also manages the unusual balancing act of amalgamating poetic moments with political observations and thus finding a universal film language that makes this film understandable beyond the rural Bulgaria shown.”