Nyon, May, 2nd, 2017 (SIGNIS/INTERFILM). An interreligious jury by SIGNIS and INTERFILM have been present at the Festival Visions du Réel in Nyon (Switzerland) since 2005. The jury includes a representative of a member of INTERFILM and SIGNIS and a member of Jewish and Muslim faith.

The jury awards a feature-length film of the international competition and possibly a commendation that sheds light on existential, social or spiritual questions as well as human values. The prize of CHF 5,000 is donated by both the Swiss Catholic Church and Médias-pro, the Media Department of Reformed Churches in the French-speaking part Switzerland (CER), and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities.

This year, the interreligious jury awards its prize endowed with CHF 5000 to the film: The gaze of the sea, by José Álvares (Mexico, 2017)

The Gaze of the Sea glows with beauty and grace. Giving voice to a community of Mexican fishers struck by loss and grief, the film shows us what it is to be human. In these fragile men and women, forgiveness and redemption materialize. The film illuminates how love empowers them to overcome pain and find reconciliation with each other and with nature.

 The jury gives a special mention to the film: No place for tears (Nulle place où pleurer) by Reyan Tuvi (Turkey, 2017)

As war rages in Kobane, the inhabitants of a neighboring Kurdish village resist oppression and brutality armed only with their sense of solidarity, identity and dignity. A powerful film of love and hope.

The members of the Interreligious Jury 2017 were:Mourad Boucif, (Belgium – President), Mikael Larsson (Sweden) and Genevieve de Simone-Cornet,(Switzerland).