Bilbao, December 14th 2024. The Norwegian film ‘Songs of Earth,’ which has captivated the Jury and the festivalgoers at the BBK Mendi Film Bilbao Bizkaia, has won the Grand Price of the 17th edition. It is the work of director Margreth Olin, a film based on her parents and the love of Nature inherited from them. The Jury highlighted that it has "magnificent cinematography, a poetic narration and a sublime soundtrack". “The director provides a crystal-clear gift of what we’ve been given when we slow down and listen: nature is calling us,” they emphasize in their verdict..
Margreth Olin is a director with an extensive documentary career based on social values and it is the first time that she has presented a film at Mendi Film. The film, released in 2023, has made her parents the protagonists, placing them in the fascinating landscapes of Oldedalen, in Vestland, Norway, where they live.
‘Songs of Earth’ has been nominated for the Academy Awards for Best International Film for Norway; it has also participated in mountain and social film festivals and is being shown on the Filmin platform - like several films from previous editions of the Mendi Film-.
The Jury was made up of filmmaker Michael Dillon (Australia); the founder of the DocLands festival in California, Joni Cooper (Canada); the director of the Dutch Mountain Film Festival, Tom Hezemans (Netherlands); journalist and mountain guide Oscar Gogorza (Basque Country); and composer Haizea Huegun (Basque Country).
The award for best director has been given to the duo of ‘Flying Hands’, made up of Marta Gómez and Paula Iglesias. This is a film by the Bilbao production companies Al Borde Films and Labografías, based on a project sponsored by the Baltistan Foundation around the protagonist Aniqa Bano, which has contributed to the social integration of the deaf community of Baltistan, especially children and young people. Aniqa Bano herself has been in Bilbao presenting the film together with the entire direction and production team. It is a documentary film that can be nominated for the Goyas.
40 films have been presented in the Official Selection of the BBK Mendi Film Bilbao Bizkaia festival.
The closing day, Sunday 15th, will be a day to enjoy the Non Stop sessions at Euskalduna Bilbao. Three sessions have been scheduled (12:00, 17:00 and 19:30) with the award-winning films, and the Awards Ceremony will be held at 17:00. It will be the icing on the cake of a new brilliant edition of Mendi Film that has been held in a great atmosphere and with a magnificent attendance.
