PANAJI
The epic World War II film ‘Into the Darkness’ (De forbandede Ã¥r) which portrays the story of a Danish electronics factory owner who is forced to produce for the occupying Nazi forces, has won the coveted Golden Peacock Award at the just-concluded 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India.
Directed by Anders Refn, the 152-minute Danish film gives a gripping dive into the complex emotional turmoil which the people of Denmark had to undergo, during the Nazi occupation of the country.
The Golden Peacock Award consists of a cash prize of Rs 40 lakh to be shared equally between director Anders Refn and producer Lene Børglum, both of whom have also been presented with a certificate each as well.
The Silver Peacock for the Best Director went to Taiwanese director, writer and producer Chen-Nien Ko, for her 2020 Mandarin drama film ‘The Silent Forest’, a candid and heart-wrenching exposition of the systemic sexual abuse that happens in a school for children with special needs. The Silver Peacock for Best Director carries a certificate and cash award of Rs 15 lakh.
Told through the eyes of the hearing-impaired lead character Chang Cheng who has just shifted to a special school, the 108-minute film brings into sharp relief the tumultuous cacophony of noises in the world of the deaf. The story is based on real events which transpired in a school in Taiwan and tells the painful tale of how victims end up transforming into predators.
Notably, the Silver Peacock for Best Actor “ Male too has been awarded to 17-year-old Tzu-Chuan Liu, who through his role as the protagonist Chang Cheng in ‘The Silent Forest’, has been able to beautifully and powerfully bring out the world of the differently abled boy. Liu is known also for his roles in 76 Horror Bookstore (2020) and On Children (2018). The Award carries a certificate and cash award of Rs 10 lakh.
The Silver Peacock for Best Actor “ Female has been awarded to Polish actor Zofia Stafiej, for her role in Piotr Domalewski’s I Never Cry/Jak najdalej stad.
The IFFI 51 Special Jury Award has been bagged by Bulgarian Director Kamin Kalev for his 2020 film February, which tells the life story of a man at three different ages of eight, eighteen and eighty-two.
The IFFI 51 Special Mention Award has been presented to Indian director Kripal Kalita for his Assamese film Bridge, which reflects life amidst hardships caused by annual floods in rural Assam.
The Award for Best Debut Director has been presented to Brazilian Director Cássio Pereira dos Santos, for his 2020 Portugese film Valentina, an eponymous film which tells the story of a 17-year-old transgender Brazilian girl, whose sole aim is to lead a normal life with her mother.
