James Longley's 'Mohabat' Wins Opus Bonum at Ji.hlava Film Festival

James Longley's "Mohabat" won the Opus Bonum main award at the Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival on Saturday. Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning filmmaker, produced the film with Longley and Mohammad Sharif Hotak.

The film follows Mohabat, a 12-year-old boy whose father dies in a drone strike. Left without parental care, he is taken to a city orphanage.

The jury praised the result. "By patiently observing the boy's interactions with his two older brothers and the routines and rhythms of life in his village school, the film creates a complex and sympathetic portrait of an individual, a family and a community, stripping away the customary clichés," the jury argued, calling the work "meticulously researched and exquisitely crafted."

The Opus Bonum section spread its honors widely:

• Special Mention: Elvis A-Liang Lu, "Songs From Within"
• Best Central and Eastern European Documentary: Nona Giunashvili, "Sacred Songs"
• Best Documentary Film in the Visegrad Region: Filip Remunda, "Love Exposed"
• Award for Original Approach: Ishtar Yasin Gutiérrez, "Life Is There"
• Best Editing: Yi-ling Huang, "Songs From Within"
• Best Cinematography: Ania Winiarska, "Good Girls"
• Best Sound Design: Diana Martínez, "19th Floor"
• Student Jury Award: Éric Baudelaire, "For the Moon"

Elvis A-Liang Lu's film earned a double distinction, collecting both the Special Mention and the editing prize.

Who else won at Ji.hlava?

Brydie O'Connor's "Barbara Forever," about the late artist and activist Barbara Hammer, took the Testimonies main award. The jury called it a "compelling cinematic study that breaks several taboos simultaneously: lesbian and female emancipation, aging and terminal illness. This exceptionally empathetic film incorporates experimental footage – shot by the protagonist herself over the span of five decades – in a highly creative manner."

O'Connor said Hammer's practice shaped her own approach. "Connecting with others through art was really at the core of her practice. It's also why she loved teaching. I definitely try to take at least a page out of Barbara's book in that regard," she said.

She recounted one audience encounter. "After one screening, a woman came up to me. She said: 'I've never heard of Barbara Hammer. I'm from Texas and I'm not queer. But I was so moved because my father is at the very end of his life, and he keeps telling our family that he's at peace. After seeing this movie, I finally understand what he's saying.'"

What did the emerging filmmakers win?

In the First Lights section, Philipp Fröhlich picked up the main award for "After the Rehearsal." Dominika Kováčová triumphed with "Elusiveness of Today," cited for its "gentle ability to take the viewer from the confines of the physical space in which an elderly woman is bound, to the boundless jam of her mental universe, and for the eloquent play of light and accomplished camera work."

Martin Páv won Czech Joy's main award for "Glowing." Nikola Klinger also took a Czech Joy main award for "Land of Fire."

Klára Trsková and Anežka Horová won Exprmntl.cz with "On the Peaks of All the Beech Mountains." The jury praised "the political courage in recalling one of the many dark chapters in our contemporary history, the relevance in denouncing ethnic cleansing during complex and painful historical moments, and the sophisticated and stirring filmmaking."

Joseph Vitali won Short Joy with "Never Been There, Never." Aleš Pojar took the Exprmntl.cz Audience Award for "Mushroom Seconds."

What did Trinh T. Minh-ha receive?

Vietnamese-American filmmaker Trinh T. Minh-ha received the Contribution to World Cinema Award. She is preparing her upcoming film "The Undying Desert," her first set in the US, and told Variety about her philosophy.

"You set up the rules for yourself. I'm very glad that I was able to stick with the path I chose and not be intimidated by all these oppressive regulations," she said.

"Cinema is not just an experience for the eyes. It's an experience for the whole body. When I was first showing 'Reassemblage,' someone told me: 'I'm hearing this film with my eyes and seeing it with my ears.' I replied: 'Perfect'," she added.

She framed her sensory approach in cultural terms. "In East Asia, the senses are not that separate. They overlap. A painter is also a musician and a poet. I think it's the same with film. It's better to come with an open mind and see how it speaks to you, rather than focusing on what constitutes a 'good documentary,' or what its story or message is."

Further First Lights honors went to Eli Maene's "Journey" (Special Mention and the FIPRESCI Prize), Emma Boccanfuso's "Saudades Eternas" (cinematography), Leinad Pájaro De la Hoz and Manuel Escorihuela's "Voices From Neptune" (sound design), and Jihyeon Oh's "Erotic Blossoms in a Dream" (original approach).

Additional Testimonies mentions went to Markéta Ekrt Válková's "Light It Before It Burns" (nature), Zainab Entezar's "771 Days" (politics), Sien Versteyhe's "The Sessions Fascinations" (knowledge), and Rocío Salima's "Identity and Transit Document No. 4." Czech Joy craft awards went to Sebastian Kučkovský's editing on "Anatomy of a Crash," Jakub Jurásek and Marek Buranovský's sound on "Wasteland Chronicles," Matěj Piňos's cinematography on "Light It Before It Burns," Karolína Hovězáková's "Love Video Letter" (original approach), Georgij Mežujev's "My Father From the Island Russia" (student jury), and Dariia Kovalchuk's "Donbas Within Reach" (best Czech short documentary).

With "Mohabat" now carrying Ji.hlava's top documentary distinction and Minh-ha's "The Undying Desert" in preparation, the festival's winners signal where nonfiction cinema is heading next season.