Emanuel Licha: Last News

Jennie Punter Montreal filmmaker Emanuel Licha’s new film—which won the juried award for best Canadian feature at Hot Docs—takes its title from the nickname Haitians have given the Toyota Land Cruiser, a popular mode of transportation among the humanitarian aid organizations ubiquitous in the country since the 2010 earthquake.In “Zo Reken,” which means “shark bones,” a four-by-four becomes a kind of mobile confessional, as a driver navigates through barricades, demonstrations, and daily life of the Port-au-Prince streets while passengers urgently discuss the state of the nation, the president, neocolonialism, and humanitarian aid.“Emanuel Licha uses cinematic metaphor to evoke the dignity of a people and the human trap that is the

Jennie Punter Svetlana Rodina and Laurent Stoop’s “Ostrov — Lost Island” and Emanuel Licha’s “Zo Reken” took the top Hot Docs jury awards at a special online ceremony webcast from Toronto Friday night.Eleven awards and $67,000 CAD ($55,200) in cash and prizes were presented to emerging and established Canadian and international filmmakers.Best International Feature Documentary Award-winner “Ostrov — Lost Island” chronicles a fishing community in the Caspian Sea, where elders cling to tradition and youth look to a new kind of future.