Rotterdam 2006

"Madeinusa" winner of the FIPRESCI Prize

The Rotterdam International Film Festival is a fixed date in the calendar of critics, in particular if they have a special interest in independent cinema coming from all over the world. It's a place of a vivid atmosphere which allows, and gives the pleasure, to make discoveries — such as Claudia Llosa, the Peruvian filmmaker which debut Madeinusa received the International Critics' Prize. Our jury noted: "We saw many films in this year's Tiger Competition, that dealt with the relationships between children and their parents, often within isolated communities. Fathers were killed; innocence was lost; and bodily fluids were spilled. There is one film, however, in which all of this happens — in an especially surprising, intelligent and accessible way." — The festival invited three young critics to a "Trainee Project": Adam B. Nayman from Canada, Pawel T. Felis from Poland and Daniel Steinhart from the USA.

Rotterdam International Film Festival: January 25 - February 5, 2006.
Details of our prize

Our jurors report:

Innocence - lost or regained? Antonia Kovacheva enjoys the unprejudiced approach to issues, usually deemed to be the twilight zone of human life, in some films from the Feature Film Tiger Competition at Rotterdam 2006.

The Wild Side of Chinese Cinema. Barbara Schweizerhof examines two debut-films of young Chinese directors, noting an intriguing new direction in Chinese cinema.

The Young and the Restless. Carlos Heli de Almeida analyses three films which examine the tragic dilemmas that face young people in Poland (Ode to Joy), China (Walking On The Wild Side) and Guinea (Early in the Morning).

Short Cuts. Mariska Graveland sums up the impressive and wide-ranging short film section of the Rotterdam Film Festival called "Short: As long as it takes".

In The Name of the Father. Neil Young is intellectually and emotionally stimulated by Claudia Llosa's debut feature, Madeinusa.

Young Film Critics. Belinda van de Graaf introduces the trainees. Adam Nayman finds Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy, which can be read in many ways, ' slender and powerful, modest and generous'. Daniel Steinhart presents the Hubert Bals Fund and its role in the promotion of Latin American Cinema.

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