LUCRECIA MARTEL AWARDED THE 2023 HONORARY PRIZE
This evening, Visions du Réel celebrated Argentine filmmaker Lucrecia Martel by awarding her its highest distinction: the 2023 Honorary Prize. The award was presented with emotion by French filmmaker Céline Sciamma, who travelled to the Festival specially for the occasion. A large audience assembled to witness the ceremony for this key figure of contemporary cinema. The evening continued with the screening of Martel’s first feature film: La ciénaga. The Festival continues to pay homage to her tomorrow 25 April with her Masterclass (at 2 pm), the capacity of which has been increased to meet public demand (see below). The discussion is moderated by selection committee member Violeta Bava, artistic director Emilie Bujès, and Paolo Moretti, head of the ECAL Cinema Department. The Festival also host a retrospective of her work throughout this year’s edition. This homage is made possible thanks to a priceless collaboration between Cinématique suisse and the ECAL – École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne.
Visions du Réel artistic director Emilie Bujès introduced the ceremony by saying: “We would like to thank Lucrecia wholeheartedly for having accepted this invitation. We know how rare she is in festivals, and we are truly honoured to count on her presence for this edition. Lucrecia Martel is working in a manner we find highly inspiring, in the way it relates to the territory, to past experiences or memories, to sound and further sensory experiences… Her films create places and atmospheres, feelings, much more than narratives.”
Renowned French filmmaker Céline Sciamma, who travelled specially for the event to present Lucrecia Martel with the Honorary Prize, gave a committed and emotional speech: “The fact that if I weren’t on that stage tonight, I’d be standing in front of a Parisian city hall, hitting a pan, with revolted citizen as part as the protest taking place right now in France makes this moment even more special. […] When the Festival reached out with this beautiful proposal to take part in honouring Lucrecia, I said yes immediately. For many reasons I already knew, and others that I understood in the process of thinking about you and your films for a few days. Admiration, as any kind of love, is a process. It’s far from being unconditional, it does not always expand. You can lose sight of it, cause you have changed. Or it can be morbidly static if you haven’t. It’s always an archive of yourself, it is a timeline. That’s the first thing I did, thinking about this speech. Dig into the archives, of my long-lasting admiration for your work. I was amazed at how easily I could design my story of gratitude for your ideas and how it could have an impact. I could go back in the theater where I watched “La niña santa” for the first time in my hometown when I was writing my first feature film around teenage desire. Or how I sneaked in the first French press screening of “Zama”, because I was too impatient to wait for the release. […] We’re so lucky you still want to share your ideas with us, Lucrecia. That you’re investigating your forms and your ways of doing things.Each time I connect to your work, my belief in the language of cinema is renewed. And I feel it is such a young art with so many possibilities to explore. I’m admiring you. I’m trusting you. And I can’t wait to discover where you are taking us with your next transformations. I feel blessed to be able to say thank you for us all.”
On receiving her award, Lucrecia Martel gave a moving speech: “A big thank you to Visions du Réel for this invitation. Time goes by and one realises that these invitations are rare occasions to say thank you. I would therefore like to thank all the people who have made my films possible. I am the face of these films but, as you know, it is a collective work, where everyone exchanges. I would also like to thank the producers of my next film, which I have been editing for 12 years. Some things take time. Thanks for their infinite patience and trust. […] When it comes to these moments of thanks, it is also inevitable to reflect on the meaning of our work. And the answer, for me, has always been the same: to dialogue. We all do this to keep the dialogue going. Thank you very much.”
On receiving her award, Lucrecia Martel gave a moving speech: “A big thank you to Visions du Réel for this invitation. Time goes by and one realises that these invitations are rare occasions to say thank you. I would therefore like to thank all the people who have made my films possible. I am the face of these films but, as you know, it is a collective work, where everyone exchanges. I would also like to thank the producers of my next film, which I have been editing for 12 years. Some things take time. Thanks for their infinite patience and trust. […] When it comes to these moments of thanks, it is also inevitable to reflect on the meaning of our work. And the answer, for me, has always been the same: to dialogue. We all do this to keep the dialogue going. Thank you very much.”
Lucrecia Martel joins other leading figures in contemporary cinema who have already received awards from Visions du Réel, including Marco Bellocchio, Claire Denis, Werner Herzog and author Emmanuel Carrère.
IMPORTANT: In order to meet public demand and increase the event’s capacity, Lucrecia Martel’s Masterclass (Tuesday 25 April, 2pm) has been moved to the Théâtre de Marens. You can now reserve seats online again.
Bastien Bento
Head of Press Office
bbento@visionsdureel.ch
T +41 22 365 44 55
M +41 79 934 34 63
Gloria Zerbinati
International Press Agent
gloria.zerbinati@gmail.com
M +33 7 86 80 02 82
54th edition: 21 – 30 April 2023
www.visionsdureel.ch
