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legal as opposed to what is unofficial, false or WACC-SIGNIS downright criminal. Panahi achieved international recognition with Human Rights his feature film debut, The White Balloon, which won the Caméra d’Or at the 1995 Cannes Film Fes- Award 2014 tival, the first major award won by an Iranian film at Cannes. Although his films were often banned he WACC-SIGNIS Human Rights Award in his own country, he continued to receive inter- T2014 has gone to the film Taxi directed by Ja- national acclaim from film critics and won num- far Panahi (, 2014), a feature-length documen- erous awards, including the at tary highlighting contemporary society in Iran. the Locarno International Film Festival for The The jury decided that Taxi demonstrates “an Mirror (1997), the at the Venice Film unusual and creative way of promoting the hu- Festival for The Circle (2000), and the Silver Bear man right to communicate, challenging censor- for Best Director at the Film Festival for ship and breaking the taboo of silence within and Offside (2006). about Iran. A yellow cab driving through the vi- Panahi’s films are known for their humanis- brant streets of Tehran plays host to diverse pas- tic perspective on life in Iran, often focusing on sengers who express candid views while being the hardships of children, the impoverished, and interviewed by the driver, who is none other than women. In his own words, “I’m a filmmaker. I the film’s director .” The film won the can’t do anything else but make films. Cinema is Golden Bear at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival. my expression and the meaning of my life. Noth- Taxi plays a dual role visually mediating free- ing can prevent me from making films. Because dom of expression while ironically showing how when I’m pushed into the furthest corners I con- new technologies are part and parcel of life and nect with my inner self.” social interaction today. The film underlines and Abbas Kiarostami, who made Iranian cinema critiques how media images often govern people’s world-famous, often set his protagonists in cars understanding of what is official, authentic, and so that the audience sees what the actor sees. The car and the eyes of the viewer became one, a large moving camera, so that the film director shares observations and thoughts with the view- ers. Jafar Panahi uses a similar technique in Taxi (still left), although the decision to do so was not entirely volun- tary. Panahi is current- ly banned from making films in his home coun-

10-1 Media Development 2/2015 try and is not allowed to travel abroad. Although Guzmán’s documentary shows a moving history sentenced to a term in prison, his was freed as a of the people of Patagonia and Chile reminding us result of pressure from abroad. However, he has that human suffering and injustice go beyond pol- chosen to disregard the work ban imposed on him. itical and social systems. Using water not only as a Taxi is a courageous act of resistance. The dir- symbolic tool but also as a natural element it puts ector plays the taxi driver in his own film, mak- the concrete story of the region’s victims, includ- ing conversation with numerous passengers as he ing precolonial indigenous persons and those who drives them around Tehran. Some of these pas- opposed Pinochet’s regime, into the vast perspec- sengers address Iran’s democratic abuses very dir- tive of humankind. ectly. In this respect, Taxi is a politically commit- In the Panorama, the jury awarded its Prize to ted film. directed by Hal Hartley, USA 2014. Motivation: The final instalment of Hartley’s trilogy, Ned Rifle stands on its own as an engaging Berlin 2015 study of human nature and religious motives. Lead character Ned Rifle leaves his adoptive religious t the 65th International Film Festival Berlin household when he turns 18 to kill his father in A(February 5-15, 2015) the Ecumenical Jury pursuit of his mother’s revenge (the subjects of the awarded prizes in the International Competition, two previous films in the trilogy, and the Panorama and the Forum. The Panorama ). On his journey Ned interacts with the and the Forum Prize are endowed with € 2500.- family stalker, his uncle, his mother and his father each, donated by the Evangelical Church in Ger- as he seeks redemption. Beautiful cinematography many (EKD) and the German Bishops Conference and an engaging script combine drama, comedy (DBK). and a keen exploration of good and evil. The Prize in the International Competition In the Forum, the jury awarded its Prize to His- went to El botón de nácar (The Pearl Button) (still toire de Judas directed by Rabah Ameur-Zaïme- below) directed by Patricio Guzmán, , che, France 2015. This timeless historical drama Chile, , 2015. about the life of Jesus is told from the perspective

10-2 Media Development 2/2015 of Judas, one of his disciples, who traditionally has cooperation, Fastenopfer (Catholic) and Bread for been seen as the betrayer of Jesus. In this film he All (Protestant). is portrayed like Jesus, a victim of the power and The award goes to the director whose film best oppression of the Roman rulers. reflects generally ethical and spiritual questions, This passion play asks viewers to look beyond especially questions of the meaning of life in the prejudices and attempt to understand the life and situation of men and women in Eastern Europe, message of Jesus. With an awareness of current Africa, Asia and Latin America, and stands for world political events Histoire de Judas makes a Human Dignity and Rights, Solidarity and lasting strong case for our need to listen to the stories of Development. the marginalized. The Ecumenical Jury at the 29th Festival award- Members of the jury: Lukas Jirsa, Praha (Czech ed its Prize to the film Flapping in the Middle of Republic) – Jury President; Gustavo Andujar, La Nowhere / Dap cánh giua không trung (still below) Havana (Cuba); Gregg Brekke, Portland (USA); directed by Diep Hoang Nguyen (Vietnam, 2014). Piet Halma, Baarn (The Netherlands); Inge Kirs- Citation: In a way that is both expressive and ner, Ludwigsburg (); Joachim Opahle, loaded with emotion, the film shows the daily Berlin (Germany). struggles of a young couple, living in a poor en- vironment and confronted with a pregnancy that was not planned. The efforts of the couple to rise Fribourg above the limits of their environment are shown in a way that is realistic as well as poetic. The dir- () 2015 ector emphasizes respect for life, the dignity of people, and conveys a hope for the future. Members of the Jury in 2015 were: Michèle t the 29th Festival International des Films de Debidour, Dieulefit (France) – President; Rose- Fribourg (21-28 March 2015) the Ecumen- A marie Fähndrich, Lucerne (Switzerland); Peter ical Jury Award of INTERFILM and SIGNIS con- Meier-Apolloni, Twann (Switzerland); Bo Torp sisting of CHF 5’000 is given jointly by two insti- Pedersen, Copenhague (Denmark). n tutions of the churches working in development

10-3 Media Development 2/2015