Jurystatements
KUKI Festival
3/11/24 - 10/11/24
3/11/24 - 10/11/24
Jurystatements
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen
Dear artists
Dear children and teenagers here in the hall,
Class 1b of the Spartacus elementary school here in Friedrichshain has taken on the honorable and responsible task of selecting the best short film from the competition program for the age groups 4+ and 6+.
We would like to thank the KUKI team for their trust, the good preparation and the wonderful festival in which we were able to participate as a class for the first time.
This was a great challenge for us, because it meant choosing from seven wonderful films on Monday AND five equally unique films on Tuesday to pick THE ONE important film to be chosen as the winning film.
All the films shown appealed to us, engaged us and impressed us.
In the end, one film from each of the two programs made our shortlist, both enchanting children's films that touched our hearts with their creativity and depth.
We would like to give a special mention to a film from the KUKI 4+ program: Battery Mommy made by Seungbae Jeon!
It was characterized by incredible attention to the smallest details and we were reminded of our wonderful daycare days. But the movie showed, and I quote: "beauty and danger at the same time", because in the wonderful setting with its material figures, a small short circuit caused a dangerous fire in the children's bedroom. Only with great effort and at her own risk did the battery mom manage to raise the alarm and save the sleeping children.
(At this point, on behalf of my school class, I would like to call out to all teachers: Don't leave the sleeping children alone!)
We found our winning film in the KUKI 6+ program.
This film fascinated us through and through, because it conveys an important message:
Go after your dreams, no matter how fantastic they seem to you. Don't give up, even if obstacles block your path!
We were immediately captivated by the beautiful pictures. Big, haunting eyes, a gentle wind in her hair and delicate facial expressions made us immediately empathize, because a little spider not only dreams of catching the moon with spider silk, but also bravely embarks on an adventurous journey.
Glowing fireflies give us a jump start and hope, a huge tire rolling towards us brings danger and makes us freeze. But now things really get going.
The creative realization of the story, including an adventurous climb, a fall and Temi's unwavering determination to continue bravely despite all the dangers, touched us deeply.
The story teaches us that dreams are not always achieved in the conventional way, but with persistence and unwavering faith, they can still come true.
Congratulations to the talented filmmakers!
May your inspiration continue to shine and light up the world of children with such wonderful stories!
A big round of applause for our winning film:
Swing to the moon by Nadine De Boer / Vincent Levrero / Marie Bordessoule / Elisa Drique / Solenne Moreau / Adriana Bouissie / Chloé Lauzu!
We would like to recommend a movie that was received very differently in our class. Some thought it was great, while others didn’t understand it. The film sparked heated discussions about its content, on which we couldn’t agree. Is it a fight against darkness or depression? Or is it about friendship and solidarity? The film left a lot of room for speculation, but also encouraged intense discussions. Of course, we liked the animation, that much we agreed on.
We give a special mention to the Scottish contribution: Shackle by Ainslie Henderson
Our winning film tells a serious and realistic story in a touching and funny way. The story also touched us personally because some kids in our class are affected by this issue. The director found a balance between sad and funny moments. We were impressed that the film was shot in just four days with a 7-year-old child. We think this short film is a great example of how to present a serious topic in an entertaining way.
The award for the best short film goes to the Thai entry: Young People, Old People, & Nothing in Between by Parida Tantiwasadakran!
Special Mention:
This film was convincing with its raw, original style and the simplistic portrayal of the characters. In a simple but powerful way, many emotions were conveyed. It was a heart-warming story that portrayed the change of a person's life situation in a positive way. Although the music was the opposite of the main character's portrayal, it created a successful combination.
Our Special Mention therefore goes to My name is Edgar and I have a cow by Filip Diviak!
Winner:
Our 1st place winner is a film that deals with a shocking incident that many would consider rather sad, sensitive and dramatic.
However, the film handled the subject perfectly and achieved this in an ironic and unexpected way.
The music and extremely well shot cinematography, together with the realisation of the plot, led to an impressive build-up of tension. The film combines horror and irony to create an outstanding duo, resulting in an extremely successful overall picture. That's why our 1st place clearly goes to Chat Mort by Annie-Claude Caron & Danick Audet!
Special Mention:
What we love about KUKI is that it naturally listens to its audience, observes it closely, and provides a space for it: in programming, in bringing their fantastic ideas to life, in the content of the films. Taking them seriously and giving them a voice is more important than ever nowadays. Especially where they spend most of their day, in school, especially those from communities that otherwise receive less attention. We saw a short film that does exactly that: it lets the children and young people tell their own stories, discusses the issues of their experiences with racism and social injustices in an authentic narrative style, and allows them to independently seek their own path. We find that crucial!
Therefore, the honorable mention from the German Film and Media Rating goes to the production Like a Forest by Zara Demet Altan and to Kasimira.
Winning Film:
Gentle yet brutally honest, our winning film portrays the reality of two adolescents' relationships. It doesn't tell too much, but just the right amount to allow us to relate and empathize in a safe space. To find out how one can give strength and courage to each other to live what one feels, to break free from existing structures, and to explore what friendship, romance, queerness and so much more feel like in the Spanish countryside. This year's KUKI Special Award of the German Film and Media Rating goes to the German-Spanish production Catorce by Daniel Sánchez López.