POLLYWOOD | WINNERS AND OTHER WL FAVORITES
This year almost 3,200 films were submitted for consideration, but only a lucky 193 (120 features, 73 shorts) had the opportunity to be screened at Sundance. Here's WL's recommendations for the best Washington-connected films, and others that stood out from the festival.
Award Winners
13 tzameti
Winner: World Cinema Jury Prize for Drama
When an unlikely chain of events leaves 20-year-old Sebastien with a train ticket and a set of instructions—clearly meant for someone else—he decides to accept the challenge. Sebastian soon finds himself at the brink of human decency, but decides to barrel on, with only luck and his wits to aid him. "13 Tzameti" is Gela Babluani's first feature film, and his combination of story and style produces great effects.
Denadie
Winner: World Cinema Audience Award for Documentary
With no filmmaking experience, director Tin Dirdamal picked up a camera and made "DeNADIE." The film follows South and Central American immigrants as they travel northward, striving for a livelihood their own countries can't provide them. Providing a sharp look at the United States' border crisis and an in-depth inspection of a Mexican culture struggling to deal with its own, Dirdamal's film avoids taking a political stance, it just shows the viewer the lives of those affected—and illustrates a story of immigration many do not understand.
 The house of sand
Winner: 2006Alfred P. Sloan Prize
Andrucha Waddington's "The House of Sand" follows three generations of Brazilian women as they try to survive an encroaching desert and the passage of time. The film uses a unique casting model in which pregnant daughter Aurea is initially played by Fernanda Torres and her mother, Maria, is played by Fernanda Montenegro. As the film progresses, Montenegro assumes the role of the aged Aurea and Torres takes over as Aurea's daughter (who Torres was carrying at the movie's beginning).
 Eve & the fire horse
Winner: World Cinema Documentary Jury Special Jury Prize
Director Julia Kwan's feature film debut follows Eve and Karena, two young sisters, as they work to reverse a series of misfortunes affecting their family. Eve finds solace in her imagination, but Karena believes the answer to their problems lies in Catholicism. In no time, ornaments of the Catholic faith begin to show up in a home formerly dominated by Buddhas. Kwan's film gives viewers a unique look at religion and fantasy, and the thin line between the two. Stellar performances from young actresses Phoebe Jojo Kut and Hollie Lo make the film even more endearing.
No. 2
Winner: World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic
In his directorial debut, playwright Toa Fraser dramatically portrays a family struggling to pull itself together while it actually is falling apart. Nanna Maria (played by the bold Ruby Dee) dreams of her youth in Fiji, but her adult home in New Zealand is far from her youthful days of family laughter in the sun. After her husband dies, Nonna plans a traditional Fijian celebration, complete with a roasted pig. Through planning for the party, familial drama is exposed and love and resilience become more apparent.
Quinceanera
Winner: Grand Jury Prize for Drama Winner: The Audience Award for Drama
Everything seems simple in Magdelena's Echo Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. As her 15th birthday approaches she thinks about her boyfriend, her quinceanera dress and the limo she hopes will arrive on her special day. Then Magdelena discovers she is pregnant. Suddenly, she finds herself kicked out of her religious home and taken in by her great grand-uncle and a tough cousin, Carlos, who was rejected by his own family for being gay. Directors Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer give viewers a modern tale of family and hope.
Tv Junkie
Winner: The Documentary Jury Special Jury Prize
Directors Michael Cain and Matt Radecki took more than 3,000 hours of Rick Kirkham's personal video footage and turned it into a riveting look at the duality of one man's life. Kirkham, a national news correspondent for "Inside Edition," documented every aspect of his life, both good and bad. Going beyond Kirkham's story, "TV Junkie" is an examination of a generation obsessed with celebrity and technology.
Noteworth Features
 The Darwin Awards
This comedy revolves around the titular awards, which "salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who remove themselves from it in really stupid ways." Director Finn Taylor tells the story of a detective—an expert profiler—who is hired by an insurance company to team up with one of their investigators in order to create a profile for potential Darwin Award Winners (because they cost the company a fortune). With great performances from Joseph Fiennes and Winona Ryder, not to mention some interesting cameos, Taylor turns in a highly entertaining and funny film.
 Kiss me not on the eyes
Dunia is a Middle Eastern student of poetry and belly dancing, but her artistic expression is limited because she cannot experience desire. Determined to find this missing feeling, Dunia begins a search for ecstasy in poetry, dance and music. In the end, Dunia must confront the traditions of her society, which have ruined her capacity for pleasure, before she can experience it. "Kiss Me Not on the Eyes" is Beirut native Jocelyne Saab's look at a society that both glorifies and condemns female sexuality. This is her take on cultural taboos, all captured with an honesty rarely found in Arab film.
Domestic Documentaries
LEONARD COHEN I'M YOUR MAN
A must-see for any fan of songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen, Lian Lunson's new film is an in-depth look at Cohen's life, featuring interviews and performances of his work by artists ranging from Nick Cave and Rufus Wainwright to Beth Orton, plus a surprise musical finale. During the film, Cohen reflects on life, love and destiny, all in his arresting use of conversational language.
THIS FILM NOT YET RATED
The independent film community has constantly debated the role of the MPAA over the past few years and "This Film Not Yet Rated" explores a provocative and cogent inquiry into this debate. Oscar nominated director Kirby Dick examines if studios receive different treatment from the MPAA in terms of ratings. The queries he poses are troubling, and the results of his breakthrough investigation are both disturbing and straightforward.
THE TRIALS OF DARRYL HUNT
Utilizing exclusive footage, directors Ricki Stern and Anni Sundberg showcase the impact of crime, race and law on a community divided along racial lines for over two decades. This shocking story is a searing reminder of the racial chasm that continues to haunt our nation.
WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?
Fashioned like a tongue-in-cheek murder mystery, this film sets out to uncover who is responsible for the demise of this ill-fated vehicle and explores the usual suspects: car companies, oil companies the government and consumers. The film serves as a potent reminder that the powers that be will stop at nothing to maintain their position in the world.
International Documentaries
 5 DAYS
Yoav Shamir's "5 Days" documents one of the most important events in recent Middle East history: the August 2005 withdrawal of Israeli settlers from their homes on the Gaza Strip. Seven camera crews follow the military, settlers and the resistance movement during the pullout. Shamir, who specialized in documentary direction and cinematography at Tel Aviv University, depicts how an explosive situation was diffused without bloodshed.
ANGRY MONK: REFLECTIONS ON TIBET
In this documentary, Director Luc Shaedler tells the story of Gendun Choephel, a Tibetan Buddhist monk in the early twentieth century. During a period of religious conservatism and national isolationism in Tibet, Choephel preached a doctrine of modernity and engagement. Using archival footage, interviews and modern takes on Choephel's life, the movie is a wonderful look at his unique story, to which modern Tibetans still respond.
THE GIANT BUDDHAS
A hard look at religious fanaticism, "The Giant Buddhas" uses the destruction of two of the world's most stunning landmarks as its base. In early 2001, the Taliban ordered all non-Islamic statues in Afghanistan destroyed. Despite international outrage, two giant stone Buddhas— more than 1,600 years old—were lost. Director Christian Frei gives viewers a thought-provoking look at a sensitive subject. He interweaves the story of his own journey to afghanistan , that of a Buddhist monk visiting the statues centuries ago, and the tale of a Canadian woman visiting the birthplace of her father, to produce a captivating feature.
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