awarded with the

Erasmus EuroMedia Grand Award 2011

Laudatio by Thomas A. Bauer, Jury President, University of Vienna

A society that scares others by means of power, disesteem and debasement, is supposed to fear for itself. A society that fears for itself, lacks in reliance and believe in its conditions of association. That often that people, especially young ones, who draw hope from a European dream, get mistreated by a rigid, and pitiless habit, by avoiding and declining any kind of communication and by giving them the cold shoulder, that often the European system has failed to make Europe a heartfelt concern for both, for itself and for all who search for European conditions of life.

Nina Kusturica’s film “Little Alien” gives an insight into the world of young people seeking for asylum through telling the story in a way as they themselves experience it. Hopes and expectations for a self-determined life evolve into human fates between juvenile carelessness and overcast worry that alien people appropriate one others own property: teenagers who flee at high risk of danger from crises regions to Europe in order to realize their hopes and dreams, get confronted with a partially inhuman and absurd bureaucratic system. The film director gives a glance behind the backdrop of bureaucracy as well as to the irrational xenophobe failure. She addresses by purpose and by all means of popular film-art young people in order to touch them and to make them aware of, where Europe fails to happen. The educational appeal is to identify Europe’s chances and challenges to come true with itself. Besides the film itself Mobilefilm Production also has published a 72 pages booklet in German and English containing detailed information about the themes dealt with the film.

Nina Kusturica and Mobilefilm Production have produced a media that matches all quality standards of an educational media in the interest of a thematic discourse towards the conditions of Europeanness at its best: the topic, its narration, the plot, the directing, the editing and the media language. This satisfied the international jury due to its outstanding performance in all award categories and particularly due to its communicative value addressing relevant perspectives of the development of European Society. That’s why the film documentary “Little Alien” deserves to be awarded by the Erasmus EuroMedia Grand Award 2011.

awarded with the Erasmus EuroMedia Special Award for Education and Ethics
sponsored by eco-c

Laudatio by Karina Kaiblinger, eco-c

‘We cannot NOT communicate.’, says one of the five axioms of communication from Paul Watzlawick. And we feel this everytime when we are interacting with people. However, communication does not necessarily mean to talk. Communication does also mean to listen.

Guro Saniola Bjerk took her time and listened. She listened carefully. She listened actively and with a lot of attention to what the people from Finnmark had to tell. It is an honour for ECo-C, the European Communication Certificate, to take the opportunity to award Guro Saniola Bjerk and Saniola Productions for their docu report ‘Lapp Hat’. Both, Guro Saniola Bjerk and ECo-C are in each of their own ways involved in bringing different people closer to each other – by listening to them and their concerns. Guro Saniola Bjerk as a dedicated journalist and film director and ECo-C as an educational program in communication and personal skills.

All over Europe public discourses are so often conducted on a demagogic level when it comes to the topic how different ethnic groups and civilisations should live together within one region or nation. The discourses are dominated by one certain group, it is played with prejudices, with the fears and the concerns of the people, with different interests.

Guro Saniola Bjerk did not choose this way for her docu report. Her approach is characterised by sensitivity and awareness to the topic and tactfulness to the people. She listened to all people and gave room to every individual feeling and opinion. She chose the dialectic way. That’s why Lapp Hat is that special. It stands for a discourse which is not characterised by opportunistic interests but by an ethical approach.
Therefore ‘Lapp Hat’ deserves to be awarded by the Erasmus Euromedia Special Award for Education and Ethics 2011.

awarded with the

Erasmus Euromedia 2011 Special Award for Culture of Diversity

Laudatio by Marko Ivanisin, University of Maribor

With WINGS and ROOTS is an independent media project that explores what gets termed assimilation in the US and integration in Germany. Set in Berlin and New York, two cities and nations struggling with immigration and national identity, this educational project tells stories of children of immigrants from diverse backgrounds who are striving to expand their definitions of belonging.

The main product of the project is the feature-length documentary that by vérité footage and in-depth conversations gives insight into six protagonists personal rites of passage, each facing questions of identity and belonging, and finding different ways to root him/herself.

The film is supported by the website that serves as collaboration and communication tool. These didactical elements are well stressed and supported by activities in most popular virtual social networks.

By that only the educational aim of the project is obvious but then topped with what is called “educational material” and that could as well be independent products.

Namely, a 22-minutes documentary presents voices of ten young people who in interviews reflect on their family’s immigration process, growing up with multiple cultures, and how they see themselves today. It is a tool that is aimed to “lead discussions on complex identities, the impact of immigration, and many forms of racism, in the context of both societies’ increasing diversity.”

An accompanying discussion guide, a questionnaire that has been created for use with high schools students, university classrooms, and in community settings reflects the high complexity of the presented issues and in-depth insight of the project.

As blend of clear educational approach and transcultural content the With Wings and Roots production is honored with the Erasmus EuroMedia Special Award for Culture of Diversity.

awarded with the Erasmus EuroMedia Special Award for Discourse & Politics

Laudatio by Joan Hemels, University of Amsterdam

In Turkey is a documentary series produced by non commercial dutch TV station VPRO in cooperation with the daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad. Presenter Bram Vermeulen takes viewers on an outright expedition from Istanbul to Van, from the Golden Horn to Iran and alongside the turkish border. On various encouters he talks to Turkish cititzens, from the hairdresser to the shepard, from students to farmers who became fishermen, from directors to construction experts in war-torn Iraq. He asks questions about the transformations Turkey witnesses, investigates contradictions and discrepancies without judging them.

The journey takes viewers to the closed border with Armenia, and to the open borders to the arabic neighbouring countries in the South – where Turkey restablishes ties lost long time ago. The viewers start to realize: Turkey regained self confidence and is redefining its self-conception. It is no longer just begging for Europe.

In Turkey reflects on the shift of mental borders, it shows how islamists take a critical look at the new rich, how both, mini scirts and burka shape the style of the street. The impressions Bram Vermeulen collects help overcoming stereotyped images of Turkey’s people and goals.

Turkey opens up to neighbouring countries in the middle east – and could turn its back on Europe, dissapointed. This is a warning for all who don’t want to see Europe ending at the Bosporus. The most interesting point in that documentary is the estimation of neighbouring countries Syria and Irak that Turkey for them represents what Europe represents for Turkey.

An editorial team and a TV-Team accompanied Vermeulen on his journey. I specially want to mention directors Stefanie de Brouwer and Doke Romeijn, both comissioning editors. The production and additional, commenting publications turn In Turkey into a multimedia package ideal for usage in an educational context. The cooperation between broadcaster and newspaper was worth the effort.

awarded with the

Erasmus EuroMedia 2011 Medal of Excellence for Cultural Feature

Jury Statement

The Medal of Excellence for a Cultural Feature goes to the film documentary “Houses of Prayers”, produced and published by the Film Department of Istanbul University in connection to Istanbul’s nomination as a European Cultural Capital in 2010. The documentary tries to touch the horizons of hope that religious denominations and unities understand them selves as a community of prayers. The documentary has found a media language and a way of aesthetical design that assimilates traditions through their differences and honours rituals of praying and in same time as the cultural variety in finding an expression of faith. Congratulation!

awarded with the

Erasmus EuroMedia 2011 Medal of Excellence for Conversational Feature

Jury Statement

The Medal of Excellence for Conversational Feature goes to the Dutch production (TV documentatry series) “Veerboot naar Holland”, because of its special style of conversation. The jury wants to honour the idea of telling a story about Turkish women emigrating to Holland under burdening circumstances in a way of a very charming and everyday language using conversational concept. By this way the production gains a lot of friendliness, which is important for intercultural tolerance. Congratulation!

awarded with the

Erasmus EuroMedia 2011 Medal of Excellence for Fictional Production

Jury Statement

The Medal of Excellence for Fictional Feature honours the film feature “Die Fremde”, a film b y Independent Artist Production, because of the lucid idea to tell the story about women feeling as strangers either in their origin homeland Turkey as as well in the country where they are living, Germany. A fictional story coming close to real life and putting the finger to a hidden agenda of many people’s everyday life. Congratulattion!
]]> http://www.euromediaawards.eu/die-fremde/feed/ 0 http://www.euromediaawards.eu/liebe-geschichte/ http://www.euromediaawards.eu/liebe-geschichte/#comments Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:00:55 +0000 Axel http://www.euromediaawards.eu/?p=1837 Documentary by Klub Zwei (Austria): Simone Bader (director), Jo Schmeiser (director)

awarded with the Erasmus EuroMedia 2011 Medal of Excellence for Historical Narrative

Jury Statement

The Medal of Excellence for a historical Narrative goes to the TV documentary “Liebe Geschichte”, produced and published by Klub2 – honouring the exceptional empathetic and sensitive approach to forefather’s history over family stories. This documentary has found a very charming method of re-assessing history by telling stories as personally experienced moments of histories over heartful connections to familial personalities from the past – but putting the narration in an contemporary environment, especially architectonic landscapes. This combines history with presence. Doing so the result in fact is a love story with at least two addressees: the forefathers and Vienna a the capital of Austria. Congratulation!

awarded with the Erasmus EuroMedia 2011 Medal of Excellence for Analytical Feature

Jury Statement

The Medal of Excellence for Analytical Journalism was dedicated to the ORF /3Sat TV documentary “Leben auf dem Vulkan” in order to honour the highly sophisticated and in depth going analytical feature. The jury was impressed by the outstanding quality of contextual research explaining the (actual) finance- and bank crises on Iceland in relation to history, to society, to mentality, to social rites and political rituals, to the way of everyday life as well as to the exposition of the small country – an outstanding piece of qualitative journalism in an documentary environment. Congratulation!

awarded with the

Erasmus EuroMedia 2011 Medal for Narrative Journalism

Jury Statement

The Medal of Excellence for Narrative Journalism goes to the Blog „Moskau-Lissabon, produced by Goethe Institute Rome, Italy – in order to honour the idea and its realization to symbolize the connectivity of Europe as a common space of living by a journey through different countries telling just everyday stories as they happen and get experienced out of the moment. Through this concept the blog is not just a story about travelling, it turns to become a journey through stories. Congratulation!