Outstanding Documentaries Take MIDA Honors

The Magnolia International Documentary Awards (MIDA) honored outstanding documentaries yesterday at the Shanghai Television Festival.

MIDA recognizes excellent documentary films in four categories: Social Documentary, History and Biography Documentary, Nature Documentary and Asian Documentary.

The Best Social Documentary award went to Bulgarian director Sophia Tzavella\'s film "Paradise Hotel," a story of people living in a housing block on the outskirts of a provincial town in Bulgaria. It\'s a film about integration, love, misery, and a gypsy wedding.

"Documentary films have a long history in Bulgaria and have won many awards in international competitions," said a Bulgarian Consulate representative. "This award will help Bulgaria promote cultural exchange with other countries in the world."

German director Sebastian Dehnhardt\'s production "The Chancellor Who Fell to His Knees, The Two Lives of Willy Brandt" won the Best History and Biography Documentary award. The film portrays the life of former German Chancellor Willy Brandt from childhood to political career, including his contradictory personality.
Korean director Jang Kyung Soo\'s "Last Tundra - Inheritors of Tundra" won the Best Nature Documentary. The 4-part series portrays people living in the tundra, one of the world\'s most inhospitable environments. The production prompted audiences living in modern cities to rethink their values and find ways to save threatened ecosystems.

Israeli director Barak Heymann\'s "Lone Samaritan" took the Best Asian Documentary honor. The film tells the touching story of the journey into exile of Sophie Tzedaka and her father after their excommunication from a tiny sect called the Samaritans because of religious beliefs.

"The documentary reflects the difficult choices of individual thought in collective beliefs." jury member Shen Koshang said.

On Friday, June 10, the Awards and Closing Ceremony of Shanghai TV Festival will be held at 19:30 at the Grand Theatre, OTV Mansion. The ceremony will honor TV films, TV series, and animated productions.