Fernand Melgar wins two awards in Seville

Fernand Melgar won the Grand Prix Rosario Valpuesta of the Pablo de Olavide University in Seville for his documentary film. The award, endowed with EUR 3000, goes to a European filmmaker who addresses human rights issues. Melgar also won the New Waves Second Award at the festival “for making art a tool for increasing social awareness and showing in a masterly way a harsh reality that would not be seen by large audiences in a different format from this”.

In “The Shelter“, Melgar documents the harsh winter in an emergency shelter for the homeless in Lausanne. Every evening, the same entry ritual takes place at the door of this little-known basement facility, resulting in confrontations that can sometimes turn violent: only 50 “chosen ones” are admitted inside and granted a warm meal and a bed.

“The Shelter“ celebrated its premiere at the Festival del Film Locarno 2014 and has since been invited to numerous international festivals, including the prestigious documentary film festivals in Jihlava, Leipzig and Montréal. Melgars film will be further shown in Santiago de Chile, Cairo, Porto, The Hague, Kiev and Warsaw.

SWISS FILMS, 17.11.14