On the third day of the Vizantop Festival 2024, which was held this year at the New Cinema Zvezda, the winning film in the “Community and Equality” category was announced – “Game over” (Turkey) from 2023, directed by Saeed Mayahy.
This year, the jury awarded a special award to the film “My Tribe Bahmaee”, 2024, Iran, director: Mohammad Ehsani.
We convey the decision of the jury of Ana Došen and Petar Veljačić:
Festival Winner:
“Game Over”, 2022, Turkey, director: Saeed Mayahy
The issue of topicality of the film’s theme was not crucial in the decision of the jury of this year’s festival. The film Game Over was awarded primarily for its unconventional approach, standing out for its skillful avoidance of lamenting the fate of those in need. Instead of directly emphasizing the anxiety, discomfort and fear that follows an uncertain path, the author of the film emphasizes the strength of young people who are steadfastly facing their circumstances. The film documents a specific moment and place where refugee teenagers find themselves, presenting an in-between space filled with individual expectations and involuntary connection. Approaching life as a game, where risk is omnipresent, but one does not give up on the goal, is the key message of the film. The engagement here is not in the clichés of contemporary production and declarative appeals, but in the open perception of a complex reality where the game goes on, even when one has to start again.
Special recognition:
“My Tribe Bahmaee”, 2024, Iran, director: Mohammad Ehsani
Going beyond merely documenting the culture of an isolated society in a remote region of Iran, the film poetically illuminates the culture of the Bahmaee community that is on the brink of extinction. The portrayal of this culture raises profound questions about the loss of a key aspect of human civilization — the nomadic way of life and the unique connection with nature. Community organization and the interpersonal relationships of its members are deeply shaped by geography, where nature bestows resources such as livestock, seasonal shelters, almonds, pistachios and olives, while challenges such as drought weave the struggle for survival into their identity. The film goes beyond merely documenting climate and cultural changes, exploring the process of losing an intimate connection with nature and the community’s specific “dance” with space that is key to its identity. It shows the complex and subtle relationship between people and nature, and the transition from the nomadic way of life to the modern world, where life is apparently safer, but less authentic and in harmony with the natural rhythm. The narration evokes a fairy-tale or mythical narrative, illuminating the former reality that recedes in the face of harsh changes and irreversible losses. The narrator’s voice echoes like a prayer, trying to preserve what is disappearing. Like the song, the film does not provide factual information or send a specific message, but rather reflects the universal human condition through the tragedy of a community. In this way, it leaves a deep impression on the fragility of the connection between people, space and time.
