Hosted by Nico Sauber and Christiane Ensch of the Fédération Luxembourgeoise du Cinéma d’Auteur (FGDCA), the cinematic event brought together award-winning directors, amateur cineastes, and up-and-coming talents.
Filmmaker Chantal Lorang won the jury prize with her poetic art film “Behind the Mask,” a symbolic exploration of the tormented mind of an artist struggling to overcome both a creative block and past trauma. Lorang is no stranger to the big screen – it’s the third time she’s received the coveted award.
“Behind the Mask” sees Rafael Springer and André Mergenthaler shine in the lead roles. In poetic symbolism, the short film delves into the search for inspiration, the despair of one’s own creative process, the fear of failure. The artist, portrayed by Springer, is haunted by demons of the past, failed love, and a troubled childhood, all of which threaten to drag him into the abyss. Lorang’s technique grips the viewer through both oppressive and, at times, ironic close-ups of the lead actors’ faces. ‘For me, art represents the essence of human existence,” says Lorang.
A welcome emerging trend seems to be that more and more young filmmakers have been submitting entries to vie for the youth award, sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture.
Marc Erang, a teacher of German, modern media, and comparative literature at Lycée Robert Schuman in Luxembourg city, has worked tirelessly to transform the Festival National du Film d’Auteur into an educational event for these young filmmakers of tomorrow.
When asked about the pedagogical dimensions of film studies, Erang explained: “Films have an identity-shaping function for young people and make a valuable contribution to personal development. They help overcome coming-of-age crises, apathy, fears, and even aggression. Working in a team improves attention, boosts self-confidence, and promotes communication skills. In the context of this valuable educational work, a cinematically perfect result seems less important to me. Those who make films know how complex the required process is and how many steps must be taken: the original idea, structure, camera work, editing, sound design, subtitles... the young director is encouraged and forced to persevere at all levels. This simply deserves respect and praise.”
This year, three young filmmakers received special attention and awards from the jury. Elena Labalestra skillfully addressed social criticism and media addiction with a keen eye for detail and impressive technical skill. Nazila Tavakoliyan meanwhile moved the audience with the autobiographical story of what it means to start a new life in Luxembourg as a refugee. Last but not least, Angelo Buda ventured into the world of gangsters, inciting his fellow actors to deliver top-notch performances with dark humor, coarse language, and implied violence with Tarantino-esque flair.
