Cinema for Peace Doves 2024
The Cinema for Peace Honorary Award
WINNER: Invisible Nation
Directed by Vanessa Hope
A fascinating portrait of Taiwan and its first female president Tsai Ing-wen. The country increasingly fears invasion by China, especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong. The camera is able to get remarkably close to the president in her struggle to preserve Taiwan’s hard-won democracy, a balancing act between the geopolitical forces of the US and China, which does not recognize the country’s existence as such.
WINNER: The Quiet Diplomat
Directed by CharlIE Lyons
An evocative documentary that chronicles the journey of Ban Ki-moon, the 8th UN Secretary-General, from his formative years during the Korean War to his leadership on the global stage, highlighting key moments of his tenure at the UN, such as addressing crises in Haiti, Syria, and West Africa, along with his work on the Paris Climate Accord, women's empowerment, and LGBTQ rights.
The Cinema for Peace Dove for The Most Valuable Film of the Year
WINNER: Golda
Directed by Guy Nattiv
Faced with the potential of Israel's complete destruction, Prime Minister Golda Meir must navigate overwhelming odds, a skeptical cabinet and a complex relationship with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as millions of lives hang in the balance during the tense 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
WINNER: One Life
Directed by James Hawes
London broker Nicholas "Nicky" Winton helps rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia in a race against time before the Nazi occupation closes the borders. Fifty years later, he's still haunted by the fate of those he wasn't able to bring to safety.
WINNER: The Zone of Interest
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife, Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
NOMINEES:
American Fiction
Directed by Cord Jefferson
Monk is a frustrated novelist who's fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.
Barbie
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
Dumb Money
Directed by Craig Gillespie
Every day people flip the script on Wall Street and get rich by turning GameStop into one of the world's hottest companies. In the middle of everything is Keith Gill, a regular guy who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock. When his social media posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him.
El Conde
Directed by Pablo Larraín
Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is a two-hundred-and-fifty-year-old vampire. Now tired of his life, he wants to die at last after the disgrace and family crises he has caused.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal as Mollie Burkhart, a member of the Osage Nation, tries to save her community from a spree of murders fueled by oil and greed.
Oppenheimer
Directed by Christopher Nolan
During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world's first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.
Past Lives
Directed by Celine Song
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Decades later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront destiny, love and the choices that make a life.
The Cinema for Peace Dove for The Most Valuable Documentary of the Year
Winner: MotherlanD
Directed by Hanna Badziaka, Alexander Mihalkovich
After the loss of her son, Svetlana investigates the violent culture of the Belarusian army. A group of friends soon to be enlisted, they go to rave parties and protest march following the re-election of Aleksandr Lukashenko.
NOMINEES:
American Symphony
Directed by Matthew Heineman
Musician Jon Batiste sets out to compose a symphony. Then his life partner, author Suleika Jaouad, learns that her cancer is back. This documentary is a portrait of two artists at a crossroads and a meditation on art, love and the creative process.
Kiss The Future
Directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain
An American aid worker asks U2 to help raise awareness about the siege of Sarajevo, Bosnia. The band immediately begins a series of live satellite interviews with local Sarajaevans during their 1993 ZOO TV Tour to highlight the dire situation.
JFK: One Day in America
Directed by Ella Wright
The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the president of the United States, told in real time by those who were there.
In the Shadow of Beirut
Directed by Stephen Gerard Kelly, Garry Keane
A portrait of modern-day Lebanon as seen through the eyes of four families living in the impoverished Sabra and Shatila neighborhoods of the city, the scene of an infamous massacre in 1982.
Hong Kong Mixtape
Directed by San San F. Young
In the wake of the clampdown on Hong Kong's freedom, works by underground artists, musicians, dancers, illustrators and performance artists showcase how art can provide some of the most powerful forms of activism.
The Cinema for Peace Dove for The Political Film of the Year
WINNER: Bobi Wine: The People's President
Directed by Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp
Ugandan opposition leader, activist and musical star Bobi Wine uses his music to fight the regime led by Yoweri Museveni, who's led the country for 35 years, and runs in the 2021 presidential election.
NOMINEES:
Blix Not Bombs
Directed by Greta Stocklassa
In an interview with director Greta Stocklassa, retired diplomat Hans Blix reflects on his career as the as the head weapons inspector for the UN during the war on terror, and the legacy he will leave for future generations.
Defiant
Directed by Karim Amer
Unique access to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and other key figures in the administration who are fighting to save their country against Russia's invasion by combatting disinformation.
Invisible Nation
Directed by Vanessa Hope
Featuring unprecedented access to Taiwan's first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, over her two terms in office, INVISIBLE NATION tells the story of her country's fight for their right to exist, to not be invaded and to be a part of the international community.
January 6th
Directed by Steven Sund
The events of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, replayed by those who witnessed the chaos firsthand.
Origin
Directed by Ava DuVernay
Author Isabel Wilkerson writes her seminal book "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" while coping with personal tragedy.
The Cinema for Peace Dove for Justice
winner: Lakota Nation vs. United States
Directed by Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli
The Lakota fight to protect their sacred land. A provocative, visually stunning testament to a land and a people who have survived removal, exploitation and genocide – and whose best days are yet to come.
NOMINEES:
War and Justice
Directed by Michele Gentile, Marcus Vetter
War and Justice is a true-life thriller about the International Criminal Court (ICC) with unprecedented access to Ben Ferencz (prosecutor, Nuremberg Trials), Luis Moreno-Ocampo (ICC's first prosecutor), and Karim Khan (current prosecutor).
Theatre Of Violence
Directed by Lukasz Konopa, Emil Langballe
As a nine-year-old boy, Dominic Ongwen was abducted and conscripted into Joseph Kony's army of child soldiers. Some 30 years later, he is the first former child soldier to be indicted in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.
Stamped from the Beginning
Directed By Roger Ross Williams
A hybrid documentary/scripted feature based on Dr. Kendi's National Book Award-winning "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas".
Justice
Directed by Doug Liman
The explosive sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh and the investigation that ensured.
The International Green Film Award
Winner: Common Ground
Directed by Josh Tickell, Rebecca Harrell Tickell
Celebrities explore how many of the problems that ail humans connect to the state of the world's soil. Independent farmers implementing historic indigenous techniques demonstrate how changing agricultural practises could potentially save the world.
Winner: We Are Guardians
Directed by Chelsea Greene, Edivan Guajajara, Rob Grobman
A poignant portrayal of the diverse group of native people who endeavour to save what is left of the Brazilian Amazon. It dissects the economic drivers that fuel large-scale environmental destruction, while exposing the corruption.
NOMINEES:
Whale Nation
Directed by Jean-Albert Lièvre
A humpback whale is beached on a remote shore. During the fight to save its life, scientists discover the story of these extraordinary creatures, with unknown territories and a barely known society.
Life on Our Planet
Directed by Adam Chapman, Sophie Lanfear, Nick Shoolingin-Jordan, Barny Revill, Gisele Sverdrup
The incredible story of life's epic, four-billion-year journey on Earth comes alive in this series from Steven Spielberg and the team behind "Our Planet."
Secrets Of The Elephants
Directed by Glenn Barden, Fleur Bone, Josh Helliker
Elephants have long been a source of wonder and mystery with their rich emotional lives and almost supernatural ways of navigating the world.
The Green Planet
Directed by Paul Williams, Peter Bassett,
Elisabeth Oakham & Rosie Thomas
Dive into a world where a single life can last a thousand years, with David Attenborough. See things no eye has ever seen, and discover the dramatic, beautiful plant life of Earth.
The Cinema for Peace Dove on Global Health
Winner: Pay Or Die
Directed by Scott Alexander Ruderman, Rachael Dyer
Three families struggle to afford insulin, one family battles lawmakers in Minnesota to regulate insulin prices, following the death of their son who was unable to afford the medication, a mother and daughter rebuilding their lives after spending their money on insulin, and a young adult diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nominees:
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Directed by Davis Guggenheim
A short kid from a Canadian army base becomes the international pop culture darling of the 1980s, only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis. The actor who is an incurable optimist is forced to confront an incurable disease.
Our Body
Directed by Claire Simon
In a Parisian public hospital, Claire Simon questions what it means to be a woman, filming women's diversity, singularity and beauty in all stages of life. Unique stories of desire, fear and struggles unfold.
The Walls of Bergamo
Directed by Stefano Savona
Bergamo in northern Italy became the epicentre of the pandemic. After the darkest days, the challenge of how to grieve begins. Stefano Savona questions his role as a documentarian and asks how to film this interrupted cycle of life and death.
Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food
Directed by Stephanie Soechtig
Through revealing interviews with experts and victims' families, this documentary examines the problem of deadly foodborne illnesses in the United States.
The Cinema for Peace Dove for Women’s Empowerment
Winner: Four Daughters
Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
Between light and darkness stands Olfa, a Tunisian woman and the mother of four daughters. One day, her two older daughters disappear. Filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania invites professional actresses to fill in their absence.
Nominees:
Frida
Directed by Carla Gutierrez
A raw and magical journey into the life of iconic artist Frida Kahlo, told through her own words from diaries, letters, essays, and interviews. Vividly brought to life with lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork.
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Directed by Anna Hints
In the shadows of a smoke sauna, women exchange innermost secrets and intimate experiences, cleansing themselves of shame and rediscovering strength through communal connection.
Invisible Beauty
Directed by Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng
Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and activist, shining a light on an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity.
Nyad
Directed by Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
The remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach, commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.
The Disappearance of Shere Hite
Directed by Nicole Newnham
Shere Hite's bestselling book The Hite Report liberated female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous surveys. Her findings rocked the American establishment and conversations about gender and sexuality.