Last night the three winners were announced at the Flora Filmtheater Through the Hague Lens, the film competition in which residents of The Hague could share their hopeful message about peace with the city. Gillian Graven was declared the winner with her film Satisfied. Satisfied shows The Hague through the eyes of a refugee. Graven won €1.000 with her impressive and moving entry.
The second prize of €500 went to Daniëlla de Campos, who creatively went into the city to interview residents of The Hague about their hopeful message to the world. Natasha Falieu-Mané won the third prize of €250 with a film about an international student who shares her first impressions of The Hague. The original music and sound design of this film were composed by Alice Guyot. Through the Hague Lens is part of the Hague peripheral programme Road to Summit, which organizes activities around the theme of peace and justice in the run-up to the NATO summit.
Alderman Saskia Bruines (Culture): “I am deeply impressed. The films are very different and all deal with peace and justice in their own way. They show The Hague in such a beautiful way. Each entry contributes to a richer, more versatile image of our city. The stories really hit home. I recommend everyone to watch the films again!”
The call to make a short film or animation about hope for world peace resulted in many creative entries: entries from young to old, and from smartphone entries to professionally produced animations. The condition was that the film lasted a maximum of three minutes and showed The Hague in an original way as a city of peace and justice. Participants could follow free workshops with tips from professionals beforehand.
An expert jury – including filmmaker Joosje Duk and presenter Nora Akachar – assessed the entries on originality, creativity and expressiveness. Joosje Duk: “The films were surprising, moving and sometimes with a touch of Hague humour. It was really special to see all the entries together and to discover how everyone had translated the theme in their own unique way. Fantastic to see how people with limited resources have managed to create such a powerful and visually strong story.”
The three winning films can be viewed below from today and will also be shown on local platforms such as Omroep West and Den Haag FM. With the prize money, the makers can invest in equipment or new productions.