A documentary film highlighting stolen Ukrainian children and a film showing how Christians, Jews, and Muslims can live together harmoniously in conflict-torn Israel are both winners of this year’s Monte-Carlo Television Festival Special Prizes.
Laurent Puons, CEO of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, made the announcement on Monday 6th June. The Special Prizes are awarded each year in collaboration with the AMADE and the Monaco Red Cross.
The AMADE Prize will be awarded to the technical film ‘Russia, the stolen children of Ukraine’ (Russie, Les Enfants Volés d’Ukraine), a documentary by Philomène Remy, Quentin Baulier, and Simon Terrassier with Sofia Kochmar Tymoshenko and Alexandra Dalsbaek – produced and broadcast by BFMTV.
The documentary reveals how Ukrainian children are being deported to Siberia and adopted by Russian families. More than 16,000 children are reported to have been separated from their parents or abducted from orphanages since the beginning of the conflict. The authorities in Kiev report mass kidnappings aimed at Russifying the younger generation. From Kharkiv to Kherson in Ukraine, the “Ligne Rouge” teams investigated and collected the testimonies of these families whose children have been sent to enemy territory.
A story of hope, unity and resilience
The Special Prize of the Monaco Red Cross will go to the documentary film ‘Oasis of Peace’, produced by StoryCircus and Premières Lignes, written and directed by Henry Poulain. The documentary uncovers a remarkable story of hope, unity, and resilience, nestled just 18 miles away from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In the heart of a region marred by conflict, Neve Shalom – Wahat as Salam, is a unique village that is home to Christians, Jews, and Muslims who are determined to live together in peace and mutual understanding. To watch the trailer, click here.
Awards gala on 20th June
Judged by international experts, the winners of the Special Prizes are selected from across the globe as part of the Festival’s Golden Nymph Awards. The laureates will be presented with their awards on the final evening of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival at the Golden Nymph Awards Ceremony, on Tuesday 20th June at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, in the presence of Princess Charlene.
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Featured image taken from Russie, Les Enfants Volés d’Ukraine