“UNCLE VAKHO’S DREAM” NAMED BEST FILM AT ELBE DOCK

The short documentary by Joanna Rój returns with the ELBE DOCK 2023 Award for best film from the Czech-German 6th International Film Festival ELBE DOCK, which is held in Ústí nad Labem and Dresden.

The International Film Festival ELBE DOCK is a competitive showcase of best short films (fiction, animation, documentary and experimental) from Central Europe. The event is the result of Czech-German border cooperation, and the festival screenings take place simultaneously in Dresden and Usti nad Labem. 

 

This year, 25 films have been invited to the competition, including Joanna Rój's documentary. Uncle Vakho's Dream was named the best of them all. 

The winning film is set in an abandoned village in the high mountains of Kazbegi, which is also home to an old man named Vakho. The man leads a modest life, and his only companions are goats, the grazing of which has become his daily ritual. The protagonist is haunted by the memory of a prophetic dream announcing tragic events for which the he punishes himself with seclusion. In the film, Vakho shares his thoughts that have emerged over the course of almost fifty years of isolation from the outside world.

You can find out more about the festival here.