Dominique Cabrera

Source: DOK Leipzig 2024 | Sophie Mahler

Dominique Cabrera

Dominique Cabrera’s French documentary La Jetée, The Fifth Shot took home the top prize at DOK Leipzig 2024 this weekend. 

The film, which explores the filmmaker’s personal connection to Chris Marker’s 1962 short La Jetée, won the Golden Dove feature-length film prize of €10,000. The jury said the documentary “exemplifies the power of cinema” and praised Cabera’s “precision and light touch”. 

Pierre Michel Jean’s Twice Into Oblivion was awarded the Silver Dove prize of €6,000 as well as the prize of the interreligious jury for €2,0000. Haitian filmmaker Jean explores the 1937 ”Parsley Massacre” between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and was praised by the jury for showing “the persistence of the past and the need to reckon with it in order for us to find a way forward”. 

In the industry awards, Ana Kvichidze’s witchcraft film Oh, Heart Don’t Be Afraid was awarded €5,000 for the best documentary project by a female director. The Unifrance doc award went to Camélia Gadhgadhi’s Bitter Seed about a father and daughter navigating their Algerian heritage. 

DOK Leipzig ran from October 28 to November 3. 

DOK Leipzig 2024 winners 

International competition documentary 

Golden Dove - La Jetée, The Fifth Shot (Fr), dir. Dominique Cabrera

Silver Dove - Twice Into Oblivion (Fr-Hai-Dom. Rep), dir. Pierre Michel Jean

International competition animated

Golden Dove - Pelikan Blue (Hun), dir. László Csáki

Special mention - Memory Hotel (Ger-Fr), dir. Heinrich Sabl

German competition documentary 

Golden Dove - Tarantism Revisited (Ger-Switz), dirs. Anja Dreschke, Michaela Schäuble

Audience competition 

Golden Dove - Once Upon A Time In A Forest (Fin), dir. Virpi Suutari

Partnership awards 

DEFA prize - Moria Six (Ger), dir. Jennifer Mallman 

MDR Film - The Other One Ta druhá (Czech-Slov), dir. Marie-Magdalena Kochová

Prize of the interreligious jury - Twice Into Oblivion (Fr-Hai-Dom. Rep), dir. Pierre Michel Jean

Prize for solidarity, humanity and fairness - The Family Approach (Ger), dir. Prinzip Famille 

Young Eyes film award - Sisterqueens (Ger), dir. Clara Stella Hüneke

Fipresci - Valentina And The MUOsters (Switz-It), dir. Francesca Scalisi

Industry awards

Best documentary project by a female director - Oh, Heart Don’t Be Afraid (Geo-Ger), dir. Ana Kvichidze

Unifrance doc - Bitter Seed (Fr-Alg), dir. Camélia Gadhgadhi

Works-in-Progress - Curtains (Ger), dir. Alina Cyranek