Sudabeh Mortezai has nabbed another festival prize for her second feature, “Joy.” Less than two months after it took BFI London Film Festival’s top prize, Variety confirms the sex trafficking drama received the Golden Star for best film at the Marrakech International Film Festival.
“Joy” sees its titular character, a young Nigerian woman trapped in the world of trafficking, taking a new girl under her wing.
“I’d like to thank all the people who helped me make the movie, especially all the women who talked to me and told me their stories and helped me write the film, and the actresses who made the film with me,” Mortezai said as she accepted her award. “I’m very happy that, with this prize, this untold story will get greater visibility.”
The fest’s jury prize was presented to Lila Avilés’ feature directorial debut, “The Chambermaid.” The film follows Eve, a maid at the Hotel Presidente Internacional in Mexico City, a place Avilés views as a “high-class prison.”
Sophie Calle’s book “The Hotel” served as the inspiration for “The Chambermaid.” “I was so fascinated that I made a theater play about chambermaids — but I didn’t have a real understanding of the position,” Avilés told us. “So, when I started to follow them in their daily lives for many years, I knew that I needed to make my movie no matter what. There was something in their work that really touched me. I developed strong relationships with some of them, so it was important for me to combine documentary with fiction in this film.”
Aenne Schwarz won best actress for Eva Trobisch’s exploration of life after sexual assault, “All Good.” “All of us here are really lucky, but perhaps this luck comes with responsibility,” Schwarz stressed as she received her prize. “Let us be passionate, curious and let us not be afraid and most important of all, let us have compassion with the people who aren’t as lucky as us.”
Dakota Johnson, Lynne Ramsay, director Tala Hadid, artist Joana Hadjithomas, and actress Ileana D’Cruz were among the Marrakech Film Fest’s jury members.
