"The Night of the Plastic Bags / La Nuit des Sacs Plastiques" by Gabriel Harel (FR)
The jury said:
"The winner of the Børge Ring Award goes to a piece of pure cinema; an artistic vision that succeeds in shaping a genre story with a mix of techniques into a coherent cinematic experience. The raw, graphical style complements the raw depiction of characters without any romanticism added. The authentic acting and attention to complex human expression is impressive, and the director succeeds in creating a main character which expresses the ugliest sides of humanity, yet filled with a strong human desire we can emphasize with.
In many aspects this film feels more like a graphic novel than traditional animated film. This is a film where drama grows from of the deep desires of the characters, and where the mise en scene constitutes the plot rather than the other way around.
And maybe this is where this film really shines; by abandoning the traditions of animation, and pointing to new collaborations and future markets, just like the graphic novel did for the comics industry. It is a a milestone, a strong statement for animation and inspiration for all film creators to stay brave, push their artistic vision the furthest and never compromise.
The Børge Ring award goes to a dystopian body-horror, with radical and fresh points of view on a globally discussed issue, in a world running out of time; please welcome on stage the director of "La Nuit Des Sacs Plastique / Night of the Plastic Bags": Gabriel Harel."