Outstanding documentary works awarded

The Magnolia International Documentary Awards (MIDA), an independent section of the ongoing 16th Shanghai Television Festival, yesterday honored outstanding documentary works from both home and abroad.

Four works with unique story-telling method of real-life subjects garnered the golden awards in four competitive categories, including Social Documentary, History and Biography Documentary, Nature Documentary and Asian Documentary.

 

The Best Social Documentary award went to Israeli director Zippi Brand Frank\'s production "Google Baby," a picture telling the story of Israel\'s booming baby production industry. There, technology has turned "making a baby" into an act independent of sex. The embryos that fit the customers\' preferences are implanted into the wombs of surrogates.

 

"I\'m very excited and honored to receive this award," said Frank (femaile). "The documentary work cost me three years to shoot, during which I also gave birth to two babies. It is my first time in Shanghai. It is a fantastic city."

 

German production "The Picture of the Napalm Girl" by Marc Wiese won the Best History and Biography Documentary award. The documentary about the life of a Vietnamese lady who used to suffer from war conveys the film maker\'s hope for freedom and peace.

 

Chinese director Gu Tao\'s beautiful screen portrayal of the Greater Xing\'an Mountains of northern China was honored as the Best Nature Documentary.
"I want to thank my parents who made me born there," said Gu. "This poetic and magical place gave me a lot of memories and help me develop a strong faith in freedom and perseverance."

 

Israeli director Noa Ben Hagai\'s "Blood Relation," a heartwarming picture about family bond took the Best Asian Documentary award.

 

Yesterday\'s ceremony also announced six winning pitches by young talented Chinese documentary directors.

 

The winning proposals, including Xu Tong\'s "Old Man Tang," Yu Guangyi\'s "The Single Man" and Liu Yue\'s "Job Hunting" will receive funding for production from the festival.