Magnolia Awards Go to Outstanding Documentary Films from Home and Abroad

Martin Gerner\'s Generation Kunduz  Won the Jury\'s Grand Prix Prize

The eye-catching Magnolia International Documentary Awards (MIDA) honored outstanding documentary works from home and abroad yesterday.

The Best Documentary Award (60 minutes and up) went to Israeli female director Yael Hersonski\'s A Film Unfinished. It touched the jury panel for its sincerity and respect for history and life.

Another heartwarming Israeli production Life in Stills  by Tamar Tal won the Best Documentary Award (below 60 minutes). The film presents a detailed depiction of a relationship that is full of love, humor and courage between a 96-year-old woman and her grandson.

Chinese directors Li Lintao and Zhang Xiaoying\'s The Surging River took the Best Chinese Documentary award. Although many documentaries on archaeological subjects are dry, this film was lively and engaging, according to the jury.

"It is hard and time consuming to make a good documentary film," said director Li. "Receiving this award is important to us because it shows that our efforts really pay off."

Zhu Yu, the 25-year-old director of Cloudy Mountain received the Best Director Award for his depiction of the lives of a group of workers subject to environmental pollution. The film\'s cameraman Liu Zhifeng also garnered the Best Photography Award.

Martin Gerner\'s Generation Kunduz which tells the story of five young Afghans in Kunduz, a city in the Afghan War, won the Jury\'s Grand Prix Prize. The film provides insight into the lives of ordinary Afghan people and conveys a strong message of peace.