The Jury:
Caroline JAMET (CBC/SRC, Canada); Silvain GIRE (ARTE Radio/ARTE France, France); Andrea ZSCHUNKE (ARD, Germany); Andrezej SULEK (PR. Poland); Gregor PIRS (RTVSLO, Slovenia); Luigi PICARDI (RV, Vatican State).
The President:
Silvain GIRE (ARTE Radio/ARTE France, France)
Motivations:
This jury had a very vibrant and passionate discussion! The problem with the Radio Music category is that it mixes two very different kinds of programs: a composed piece of music, or a radio show about music. Once again, the jury feels that these two should be divided and be given two separate awards.
“A Ballad About a Song” tells a great story about the unifying power of a song in the face of cultural diversity. The narration sounds simple, but it is beautifuly executed resorting to the classical tools of recording, editing and mixing. The production achieves strong emotional impact while dealing with such key issues as art, music and politics. From Catalonia to Poland and beyond, “A Ballad About a Song” is a very engaging, moving and smart musical documentary.
Motivations:
A classical music show that is both smart and fresh. The young presenter Jess Gillam, also a saxophonist, converses with another young musician. Their off-the-cuff talk is based on free association, touching on a wide variety of subjects ranging from Bowie to Berlioz. It all makes for a great, pleasant radio show with the immediacy of podcast. We believe there is a new way here of engaging the audience.
The Jury:
Kurt REISSNEGGER (ORF, Austria); Komiyama YOSHINORI (NHK, Japan); Vesna PERIC (RTS, Serbia); David COLLIN (SRG SSR, Switzerland); Jonquil PANTING (BBC, United Kingdom).
The President:
Jonquil PANTING (BBC, United Kingdom)
Motivations:
In the context of this year’s theme, “Celebrating Cultural Diversity in a Global Media World”, the Radio Drama Jury would like to recognise the achievement of both “Martians” from the BBC, and “My Brother, My Princess” from CZCR. However the Prix Italia goes to “Desire Paths”/“Les Chemins de Desir” from ARTE Radio, for its exquisite use of radiophonic language to draw us along a sensual, individual journey through a life in pornography.
Motivations:
Our Special Commendation goes to “PigBoy” from SRF for its originality, wit and daring.
The Jury:
Nikica KLOBUČAR (HRT, Croatia); Julie STEJSKALOVÁ (CZCR, Czech Republic); Jesper DEIN (DR, Denmark); Kaj FÄRM (YLE, Finland), Donal O’HERLIHY (RTÉ, Ireland); Mihaela SCHEFER (RAI, Italy).
The President:
Kaj FÄRM (YLE, Finland)
Motivations:
The jury of the Radio Documentary and Reportage” award of Prix Italia had the pleasure of listening to 8 superb short-listed programmes at this year’s Festival. It has reassured us that the genre is alive and well.
The winner is an important chapter in the story of women. It catalogues the story of a woman who suffered appalling abuse. She reached out for help. Shockingly, the person who was supposed to provide that help abused her again.
This piece delivered a gripping story through a powerful use of the medium.
Thanks to the vision of these documentary makers, her story did not remain a secret.
The Jury:
Maria SALCEDA (ABRA TV, Argentina); Veronika SLÁMOVÁ (CTV, Czech Republic); Toni MEKHAEL (ART, Egypt); Marika KECSKEMÉTI (YLE, Finland); Isabelle MORAND (FRANCE3, France); Antonella D’ERRICO (SKY ITALIA, Italy); Nagata NORIHIKO (NHK, Japan); Ana Maria BORDAS (RTVE, Spain).
(Please note that jury member Agatha Pezzi from Canada (TLN) and Simone D’Amelio Bonelli from Italy (A&E) did not attend the jury sessions in Rome and did not take part in the voting.)
The President:
Ana Maria BORDAS (RTVE, Spain)
Motivations:
This production is a very strong visual documentary which gives a voice to diversity communicated by dance. It approaches audiences without refusing artistic perspective where dance is the language to tell stories and provoke reactions.
It is a brave and proud testimony narrated by the artists themselves.
The jury found this to be an excellent decision that makes the documentary touching and extraordinary.
Motivations:
It is a very ambitious work that uses the crisis in the Opera Theater in Rio de Janeiro to denounce the political and economical situation in Brazil.
The Jury:
Riet DE PRINS (VRT, Belgium); Jasminka ZIVALJ (HRT, Croatia); Anne DIDIER (FRANCE2, France); Wolfgang FEINDT (ZDF, Germany); Mylene VERDURMEN (NPO, Netherlands); Klara PIWONI-CIESLINSKA (TVP, Poland); Ratislav DURMAN (RTS, Serbia); Amna MAKSUMIC (SVT, Sweden).
The President:
Mylene VERDURMEN (NPO, Netherlands)
Motivations:
Though based on true facts, this television drama is absolutely brilliant and extremely witty in all aspects of creating fiction. Not only in writing, directing and the absolute highest level of acting, but also in camera work and above all, in editing. Also, it absolutely hits the core of our society today, as mass manipulation through social media and such becomes a real danger to the political awareness of all people around the world. We proudly pronounce “Brexit, The Uncivil War”, to be the winner of the Drama Award of Prix Italia 2019.
Motivations:
(As a fuit of the lovely discussions we had within our jury, we decided to give a Special Mention to a series which was not short-listed).
The premises “Violence calls violence” is worked out in a very modern, edgy and daring way. With this Special Mention, the jury would like to encourage the creators. We were touched and surprised by the hip and original way of storytelling, directing and editing.
The Jury:
Edlira ROQI (RTSH, Albania); Fernanda ROTONDARO (CANAL ENCUENTRO, Argentina); Julie GRIVAUX (FRANCE5, France); Esther SCHAPIRA (ARD, Germany); Piero Alessandro CORSINI (RAI, Italy); Carlos MAIO (RTP, Portugal); Gregory CATELLA (SRG SSR, Switzerland); Cassian HARRISON (BBC, United Kingdom).
The President:
Gregory CATELLA (SRG SSR, Switzerland)
Motivations:
From a very strong field, the jury felt that “The Bridge” was an outstanding example of contemporary documentary film-making. While its subject is one of compelling public interest, its impeccable journalistic investigation is also brilliantly constructed as an unfolding story. The film manages to explain not only the technical and political background to the disaster, but also powerfully communicates its emotional impact through skilful interviews and visual direction.
Motivations:
The Jury also wanted to give a Special Mention to ARTE’s “Selfie”. They acclaimed its innovative approach, and its vivid and authentic portrait of teenage life in modern Naples that brilliantly reinvents the great Italian neo-realist cinema tradition as documentary.
The Jury:
Anna VOŠALÍKOVÁ (CZCR, Czech Republic); Tanja IIKKANEN (YLE, Finland); Kristina DEBELIUS (ARD, Germany); Giovanni BELLI (A&E, Italy); Stefano LA PERA (RAI, Italy), Hosokawa KEISUKE (NHK, Japan); Wies VAN DIEPENBEEK (NPO, Netherlands); Urszula KOZIENIEC (TVP, Poland); Sonja SAVIC VEZMAR (RTV, Serbia); Agustin ALONSO (RTVE, Spain); Michael LAPAIRE (SRG SSR, Switzerland); Emre YURDAKUL (TRT, Turkey).
The President:
Wies VAN DIEPENBEEK (NPO, Netherlands)
Motivations
As a public broadcaster, it is our responsibility to make news accessible to every layer of society. In particular, the main challenge is making news understandable and engaging for a young audience. “Serious News in Insta Style” is made by young people for young people in a perfect mix of editorial style and use of technology. They succeeded in transforming serious news into attractive, highly interactive content and opening up a new way of presenting serious subjects.
The Jury:
Anna VOŠALÍKOVÁ (CZCR, Czech Republic); Tanja IIKKANEN (YLE, Finland); Kristina DEBELIUS (ARD, Germany); Giovanni BELLI (A&E, Italy); Stefano LA PERA (RAI, Italy), Hosokawa KEISUKE (NHK, Japan); Wies VAN DIEPENBEEK (NPO, Netherlands); Urszula KOZIENIEC (TVP, Poland); Sonja SAVIC VEZMAR (RTV, Serbia); Agustin ALONSO (RTVE, Spain); Michael LAPAIRE (SRG SSR, Switzerland); Emre YURDAKUL (TRT, Turkey).
The President:
Wies VAN DIEPENBEEK (NPO, Netherlands)
MOTIVATIONS:
“Goals” unveils a next-level innovative way to make drama series. The series fully interweaves in young people’s lives on social media, with an understanding of how the target group uses the social platform. The show offers the opportunity to interact and identify with the characters, so as to fully immerse in the narrative. Followers can even influence and take part in the story line.
The Jury:
Nicolás SCHONFELD (President of TAL); Flavio DE BERNARDINIS (Experimental Centre of Cinematography, Italy); Giorgio GOSETTI (Head of Casa del Cinema of Rome, Italy); Emanuele Maria LANFRANCHI (Head of Press Office, Lazium Region, Italy); Mario MORCELLINI (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy); Simonetta PATTUGLIA (Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy); Marta PERROTTA (Roma Tre University, Italy); Jaume SERRA I SAGUER (Secretary General of the Premios Ondas).
The President:
Flavio DE BERNARDINIS (Experimental Centre of Cinematography of Rome, Italy)
Motivations
“Serious News in Insta-Style” has been judged to have tapped into the middle ground of language, media and communication.
Traditional media represents a remote means of accessing info for today’s youth. It is not only an effective way of getting the news across but, as far as public service is concerned, of raising awareness among young people.
The Jury:
Kåre POULSEN (DR, Denmark); Lili BLUMERS (ARTE France, France); Anandana KAPUR (Independent producer, India); Alessandro LOPPI (RAI, Italy); Tomas LINDH (SVT, Sweden).
The President:
Anandana KAPUR (Independent producer, India)
Motivations
We, the jury of the Cross-Platform Special Prize, voted that the 2019 award goes to the Danish entry “Ultra:bit”. In a rapidly changing media landscape, the project provides us with the best practices in order for a public service to remain relevant today. The co-creation and outreach to diverse actors and stakeholders are innovative ways to engage a young audience. The concept greatly amplifies the impact and value of the existing micro-bit tool.
The Jury:
32 students from the Universities of Rome “Roma Tre”, “Sapienza” and “Tor Vergata”.
The President:
Helia SHIRJAFARI (Roma Tre University)
Motivations:
“I Can See What You Can't See” is an effective marriage of form and content: a long, essential, “Snowfall”-like narrative, which is used to raise awareness about a silent plague in our societies – depression, and how everyday life looks like from the perspective of a depressed person. This project can be a great opportunity for both depressed people to better understand their condition and possibly reach out for help and for others to feel what depressed people feel: it is an immersive, if bleak, experience.
The Jury:
Carlos GARDE MACÍAS; Mariachiara MARTINA; Norman MELCHOR R. PEÑA JR.
The President:
Mariachiara MARTINA
Motivations:
“My parents (..) couldn’t sign (…) so we probably communicated less than half what we wanted to. I couldn’t have deep conservations the way my (deaf,) daughter can”
“A World of Boisterous Silence” allow us to enter in a very powerful way in the world of the deaf persons. Thanks to the narration through gestures and subtitles, we can profoundly relate to how they proudly affirm their identity which is a strength giving everyone hope for the future. The simple language used by kids, who are the main protagonists of the documentary, helps viewers in better understanding their reality.
Motivations:
“Savages. Inside Human Zoos” offers a window in the past which is not normally known regarding the stories of seven groups of indigenous persons being put on display like animals like zoos. Thanks to this documentary, we can learn about exploitation that is inhuman. Their plight can easily represent current forms of human trafficking and slavery.