The jury
Cem Altinsaray (Turkey), Elijah Baron (Canada), Jindřiška Bláhová (Czech Republic), Diego Faraone (Uruguay), Jenni Zylka (Germany),
Awarded films
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Seagrass by
Meredith Hama-Brown,
(Canada, 2023, 115 min)
Reports
Jurors about the winning film: “A married couple in crisis seems willing to give what is usually the last resource to save its bond: couple therapy, while they’re having a vacation at the Pacific coast together with their two daughters. Their contact with other couples is an inevitable temptation and a fire test. Meanwhile, the daughters confront the world, their fears, puberty – and the ghosts of unresolved conflicts of their parents.
This intimate, endearing and wonderfully framed first feature film by young Canadian actress and director Meredith Hama-Brown skillfully deals with subjects like masculinity, family taboos, motherhood and structural anti-Asian racism. Hama-Brown carefully stages her convincing actors, especially the young ones, and even gives life to a tender relationship between a little girl and a violet ball”.
