The 19th edition of FiSahara once again looked to the Palestinian cause to award the White Camel prize. Today we present here the result of the deliberations of a jury composed entirely of the team of the Abidin Kaid Saleh Audiovisual Training School.
FIRST AWARD – WHITE CAMEL
All that’s left of you
The film All that’s left of you is a powerful and deeply human cinematographic work that addresses the Palestinian question from an emotional and realistic perspective, far from direct discourse. It relies more on memory and silence than on traditional narration. It stands out for its careful visual aesthetics and a camera close to the characters, which reflects both pain and hope at the same time, with realistic lighting that intensifies the experience.
The strength of the film lies in its simplicity and honesty in transmitting the human experience without exaggeration, making the cause be perceived through the everyday details of life and not through slogans. For this balance between artistic depth and human dimension, it was ranked first in the festival, as it managed to transform suffering into a universal and moving cinematographic language.
SECOND AWARD
Mariem
The film Mariem is a human and sincere work that is closer to the soul of the character than to the simple narration of his biography. He opts for a serene and expressive visual language, where the camera stays close to the details, conveying an intimate sense of both Mariem’s suffering and her strength.
The narrative remains balanced, combining art and illness without falling into excess, which provides a deep impact and away from any artifice.
As for its second place, it can be understood within a context of artistic competence, since the film is more faithful to a classical, elegant and emotional style, but less daring in terms of experimentation or rupture of cinematographic forms. Thus, it remains a powerful and moving work, although without risking enough to reach the top spot.
THIRD AWARD
The Reward
The film The Reward draws on the depth of Mauritanian culture to offer a human story that is apparently simple, but full of meaning. It is supported by a serene and direct narration, which leaves the visual language the main space of expression, where the photography is presented rich in aesthetic nuances, reflecting the spirit of the place and reinforcing the feeling of strangeness and nostalgia.
The film manages to be precise in its discourse, without excesses or complications, transmitting its idea with clarity and honesty. However, despite its visual coherence and human sincerity, the work remains closer to a narrative simplicity, without a greater depth in the dramatic construction or a marked artistic audacity. This explains its position in third place in a competition that was looking for more complex and risky dimensions.
EDUARDO GALEANO HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
The Sami Song of Survival
The film offers a deeply human experience that transforms the suffering of a people into a living sensation that the viewer manages to feel. It uses a simple visual language and a leisurely rhythm, where silence and small details convey the weight of waiting and memory. The camera, close to the characters, creates a sincere connection without falling into emotional exaggeration.
Its true value lies in turning a particular experience into a universal issue, raising questions about identity and belonging. For this reason, it deserves to be considered a human work: it is not only seen, it is felt.
