The film Strahinja by Serbian director Stefan Arsenjevic about African migrants was awarded the Crystal Globe for Best Film at the 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the spa town of West Bohemia on the 28th August.
Made in a co-production between Serbia, France, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, and Lithuania, the film combines the motif of a medieval Serbian legend about a man in search of his wife with the theme of modern-day migration. Strahinja and his wife, Ababuo, are Ghanaian refugees who eventually found a home in Serbia.
Strahinja is building a successful career, but his wife cannot find her own way, growing increasingly frustrated, until one day disappears. Her husband goes looking for her. The film raises timely social, ethical, and moral issues, explained the jury its decision.
In addition to the Crystal Globe, the creators of Strahinja also received a cash prize of $25,000, split equally between the director and the producer, festival president Jirí Bartoska announced at the closing gala evening of the festival.
This year, twelve films competed for the top prize at Central Europe’s only A-category film festival. There were no Hungarian works among them.
At this year’s opening ceremony of the international film festival, two-time Oscar-winning British actor Michael Caine received a Crystal Globe Award for outstanding contribution to the cinema world.
At the closing ceremony, American actor, director, and writer Ethan Hawke, and Czech filmmaker Jan Sverák received the Crystal Globe Award, presented by the Festival President.
