Restart’s short documentary film “Valerija” by Sara Jurinčić won three new awards at international festivals. Film delighted the jury of the Rabat International Author Film Festival / FICAR – Festival International du Cinema D’Auteur de Rabat, dedicated to auteur films, where “Valerija” had its Moroccan premiere. There, according to the jury’s decision, the film won two awards – the award for the best documentary film and the award for the best camera. At the same time, in Rome, Italy at the recently concluded 30th edition of Med Film Festival, the film won one award: the Cervantes Award for the best short film and what is interesting is that the jury was composed of 13 students of film schools from the Mediterranean countries and 4 groups of prisoners from the Rebibbia prison in Rome. The jury explained its decision as follows: “There was a shared feeling — a powerful, beautiful way of telling a story that felt like poetry — watching Valerija. The poetry of the film was mainly achieved through its aesthetics, driven by the director’s strong, innovative, and imaginative choices. It brings up emotions that touch you deeply. The spirit of our ancestors — marked by feminine strength and their legacy — stays with us, even after they’re gone. A unique take on war through a female perspective that highlights the societal shifts and absence of men caused by the conflict”. With this, “Valerija” has become one of Restart’s most awarded short films, with a total of 9 festival awards won so far and a selection for the European Film Academy awards.
