This Wednesday, at a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament awarded its 2014 Lux Prize to the film “Ida”, directed by Pole Pawel Pawlikowski. The Polish-Danish co-production, filmed entirely in black and white, tells the story of two women in communist Poland in 1962, talking about their memories of the Holocaust.
“Ida” was declared Best European Film of the Year at a ceremony in Riga on December 13th, was competing for the Lux Prize alongside Rok Bicek's Slovenian film “Razredni sovraznik” (“Class Enemy”) and “Bande de filles”, (“Groupe of Girls”) by French director Céline Sciamma.
The European Parliament President Martin Schulz praised “three absolutely exceptional films”, as he awarded the eighth Lux Prize. The annual award recognizes films on topics related to European social values and issues. “These films gives us a brief look into the everyday lives of our neighbours, enabling us to better understand not only them, but also ourselves,” he said.
The three Lux Prize finalists already have subtitles in 24 European languages and are distributed in the 28 member states across the EU. The winning film, “Ida,” will be also be adapted for the visually- and hearing-impaired.
In 2013, the Lux Prize was awarded to the Belgian film “The Broken Circle Breakdown” by Felix van Groeningen, a tale recounting a couple's struggle when faced with their daughter's illness.
(Source: Belga)
