The winners of the various contests at the Tempo Documentary Festival’s twenty-first edition have been selected. During Saturday night, the winners in seven competition categories received their awards at the prize gala held at Teater 3 in Stockholm. Several of these documentaries are presented in the programme on Sunday.

Here are the names of the winners and those who received an honourable mention, including the motivation of the jury for the respective prizes:

TEMPO DOCUMENTARY AWARD

Tempo Documentary Award is one of Sweden’s largest documentary film competitions. The prize of SEK 75,000 goes to the film’s director. The competition is organised with the support of the Swedish Film Institute.

Winner

Ninosca – The Woman and the Emigrant’s Song by Peter Torbiörnsson

Motivation of the jury: Craftsmanship in its ultimate form, a monumental document that spans 40 years. We praise the perfect cinematography and a work, based on trust built over time, where insightful and penetrating images give us a close study of human conditions, the power of the individual and everyone’s shortcomings. A sorrowful song about social injustice and a woman’s indomitable struggle for a dignified life.

Honourable mention

Scheme Birds by Ellen Fiske & Ellinor Hallin

Motivation of the jury: We are deeply moved by a skilfully crafted film characterised by respect, patience and sensitive considerations. In a brutal reality with strong evaluation systems and hierarchies, we follow the life of a charismatic person – a journey. The unbearable rawness contrasts with lyrical beauty and interpersonal warmth. We bow down to two directors who, with determination and patience, have established trust and who have given us Scheme Birds.

STEFAN JARL INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY AWARD

The Stefan Jarl International Documentary Award is for the best international documentary. The prize is EUR 2,000. The competition is organised with the support of the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.

Winner

La Mami by Laura Herrero Garvin

Motivation of the jury: A rich film about friendship and labour – in a style that has both aesthetic and sociological qualities, simultaneously built on cinematic tradition and making something new. An invited gaze into a locked room where we are able to see the reality of a vulnerable social group in Mexico. La Mami does what art is supposed to do: it invites us to expand our horizons through finding beauty in unexpected ways.

Honourable mention

Overseas by Sung-A Yoon

Motivation of the jury: A reminder of the simple elegance of the documentary form. The film succeeds in capturing rarely documented voices and faces with candour and dignity. An engaging view of world politics from a micro perspective.

TEMPO SHORT AWARD

Tempo Short Award is the competition for the best documentary in short format. The prize of SEK 25,000 goes to the film’s director. The competition is organised with the support of the Swedish Film Institute.

Winner

Röster om vår tid by Per Wichmann

Motivation of the jury: Open, thought-provoking and visually strong. Our choices and our society’s consumption are finely shaped by the film’s characters. They, like most of us, express their concerns and dreams while ecological, economic and societal changes are ongoing. A great example of how to present complex questions and thoughts in the short format.

Honourable mention

Sällskapet – intervjuer från alltings mittpunkt by Malin Erixon

Motivation of the jury: Sällskapet is a skilfully-composed film that manages its chosen topic without falling into the usual traps. With humour and sharpness we clearly see how difficult it can be for some people to say “I don’t know”. With well-made animations and a confident tone, this is a vital voice for our time.

NEW DOC

The prize is SEK 40,000 and is awarded to a new promising director for an upcoming film project. The prize is awarded in collaboration with Filmbasen/Film Stockholm, Film i Öst, FilmCloud/Kultur i Väst, Film i Dalarna, Film Västernorrland, and Kultur i Halland – Film.

Winner

Petra & Peter – en syskonsaga by Johanna Aust

Motivation of the jury: This year’s winning film ties a bow around reality about family, history, heritage and the environment. The film does not claim to provide any general answers to existential questions, but instead we are led into an open exploration of two siblings who were once invincible, but who in various ways fall victim to their baggage. What do you do when you are finally left alone with your story? How do you deal with things that cannot be satisfied?

SHORT DOX RADIO

In Short Dox Radio, ten radio documentaries of a maximum three minutes’ length compete for SEK 5,000. The winning documentary will also take part in the Nordic short dox competition which will take place in Sweden later this year. The prize is a collaboration with the production company Munck, which offers studio time and a producer to help create the winner’s next audio documentary. The award was founded by Bengt Bok, professor of radio production at Stockholms Dramatiska Högskola.

Winner

All by Myself by Åsa Secher

Motivation of the jury: Dynamic both in tempo and mood and with high technical skill, a personal story is created with great recognition. A humorous insight into the various elements of the single life.

Honourable mention

Stereo by Emilie Birket-Smith

Motivation of the jury: With an experimental form and an original theme, the documentary provides several playful ’a-ha’ moments. A story that harnesses the full potential of the media to provide new insights.

TEMPO SOUND AWARD

This prize is awarded to the short film, among the competition films in the Tempo Short Award, which has the most thoughtful and creative soundscape. The prize consists of SEK 60,000 to be used in Momento Studio, corresponding to about two weeks in the studio with a sound designer.

Winner

Park by Lucia Pagano & Vanja Sandell Billström

Motivation of the jury: We are invited on an unexpectedly entertaining journey through the world of sound, which leaves us with a musical experience, even though the film contains no music. It feels obvious that the filmmakers had a clear vision of the role of sound in their creation process and that they dared to give the sound a central place in the story. Audio, especially in documentary films, is often under-prioritised and is often used simply to tie action and design together. This movie does the opposite.

TEMPO PITCH

Tempo Pitch is the competition for new documentary film ideas. The prize consists of SEK 90,000 in development funds. The competition is arranged in collaboration with SVT Dokumentär, The Swedish Film Institute’s documentary film consultants and Film Capital Stockholm.

Winner 2020

To the North by Jasmijn Kooijman

Motivation of the jury: With a light touch and a clear vision, the director takes us on a long journey. Through the friendship and obvious presence of the young protagonists, we not only get to know them, but we also get to see a Sweden in change; a Sweden that challenges us.

Press photos from the films are available here: tempofestival.se/press/

Group photos of the winners are available from 21.00 with more photos later in the evening.