Spotlight Award is one of the prestigious awards of the Cinema Eye Honours. It was originated with the aim of promoting films that didn’t get the chance of being well distributed among the audiences in United States, but which surely deserve a special recognition. “Argentinian lesson” awarded the Spotlight Award – was nominated among such films as „Meanwhile in Mamelodi” by Benjamin Kahlmeyer, „Downeast” by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, „Bestiaire” by Denis Côté and „Vol Special” by Fernado Melgara.
The Cinema Eye Honors have been presented to the best documentary films since 2008. The selection procedure bases on nominations sent by the most prominent world documentary film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, True/False, SXSW, Full Frame, Tribeca, Hot Docs, Cannes, Silverdocs, Los Angeles, Toronto, Sheffield and IDFA. Each festival chooses their candidates which then are judged by the group of 200 film professionals elected by Cinema Eye.
The enchanting “Argentinian lesson” portraits a friendship between two children – Janek and Marcia. He is a son of a Polish teacher, who runs lessons for the descendants of Polish immigrants while she is one of the pupils in his mother’s class. Although their age is similar their experience seems to be a lot different. For Janek a friendship with Marcia reveals a bitter taste of childhood prematurely tainted with the worries of adult life.
It was truly remarkable year for the documentary by Wojciech Staroń. During the last twelve months it was one of the most frequently screened Polish documentaries that made it to nearly thirty international festivals from which half screened the film in the competitive sections. What is more, “Argentinian lesson” is a laureate of numerous prizes such as the awards for the best film presented at the Canadian RIDM, Macedonian Make Dox, Italian Detour and Polish/ German DokumentART as well Best Doc Film in Georgian Batumi.
Film is produced by Staroń Film in coproduction with TVP S.A. and its international promotion is supported by Krakow Film Foundation.
more at: Cinema Eye Honors
[on picture: Małgorzata i Wojciech Staron with Albert Maysles and Cinema Eye Honors Award Statue, fot. from archives of W. Staron]