Jury Motivation by Prof. Bülent Küçükerdoğan

The jury unanimously awards Otkole for transcending a simple local story and transforming it into a universal narrative of memory. With an observational yet never distant gaze, the director brings the quiet resistance and human dignity within everyday life to the screen with great aesthetic finesse. Through its patient editing, masterful use of sound and space, and profound respect for its protagonists, Otkole stands out as one of the most sincere and powerful testimonies of recent Balkan documentary cinema.

Synopsis

Three Pomaks tell us about the 'Revival Process' in Bulgaria while we follow their everyday life.

Three Pomaks who lived through Bulgaria’s communist era recount their memories of the so-called 'Revival Process' - the state’s attempt to forcibly sever them from their Islamic faith and traditions. Told without accusation, their revelations unfold through moments of loss and tenderness, interwoven with the rhythms of their present-day lives.