"17th of August" received Special Commendation at Prix Europa
2010-12-15
"17th August"
"17th of August" by Alexander Gutman received Special Commendation at Prix Europa in the TV Best Documentary Programme 2010 section. Jury citation: "A man in Russia sentenced to life in prison knows that life means a lifetime. The only way he will leave is in a coffin. The director of this claustrophobic film, Alexander Gutman, is not frightened to hold hold long shots of nothingness, as the prisoner tries to fill yet another day with meaning. There was no commentary but the excellant soundtrack of a world outside the prisoners cell told only too well of his being cut off from life. An impressive small scale scripted film."