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Tokyo Festival closes with "Vera Dreams of the Sea" winning Grand Prix

Isabelle Huppert, Jury President, presented award to Arber Mehmeti, Charge d'Affaires ad interim, Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Tokyo
Isabelle Huppert, Jury President, presented the award to Arber Mehmeti, Charge d'Affaires ad interim, Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Tokyo

9 Nov – The Tokyo International Film Festival closes with Kosovo film, "Vera Dreams of the Sea" winning the Grand Prix during the virtual ceremony held on 8 November.


The movie, based on the real-life experience of filmmaker Kaltrina Krasniqi's mother and depicts the struggle of a woman who is forced to fight for her inheritance following her husband's death, is described by Jury President Isabelle Hupert as "simultaneously a touching portrait of a woman grappling with the death of her husband and a commentary into the structures of patriarchy that strangles those who do not participate in the deep-set rules of the game set by men."


"Vera Dreams of the Sea"

Meanwhile, Teodora Ana Mihai's "LA Civil" won the Special Jury Prize, while Matsui Daigo's "Just Remembering" was honoured with the Audience Award and Special Mention.

Said Matsui, "This is the fourth time I've participated at TIFF, and the first time I've been able to feel the weight [of an award] in my hands. My film is about what happened over the past two years in the world, the difficult time we've all been having. I was depicting not only sadness and loneliness, but the joy of being together with someone. I want people to embrace both the past and the present so we can go forward. Mr. Ozaki, who created the music for the film, has a birthday tomorrow, and I'm so glad I have [this award] to share with him."

As for the Asian Future Section, the Best Film award went to "World, Northern Hemisphere" by Iranian director Hossein Tehrani.


"World, Northern Hemisphere" by Hossein Tehrani

 





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