TEHRAN – “Dream’s Gate” by Iranian filmmaker Negin Ahmadi has won an honorable mention at ZagrebDox, an international documentary film festival in the Croatian capital of Zagreb.

In “Dream’s Gate” co-produced by Iran, France and Norway, Ahmadi starts a personal journey into the combat zone of north Syria to question what it means to be a woman. 

Alone with her camera, she decides to look for an answer to her questions by encountering the women who embody the strongest contemporary myth of female strength and freedom: Kurdish female fighters. The personal search and internal struggles turn into an intimate women’s diary written in the first person. Following, sharing and witnessing the life of these and other Kurdish women put into question the image that the director has of herself and of the cost of equality and freedom in this difficult region.

In their comment, the jury praised the courage and commitment of Ahmadi, and considered the topic timely, important and uniquely relevant.

The winners of the festival were announced on Saturday as “Wild Wounded Animals” by Jakob Pagel Andersen from Denmark also awarded an honorable mention. 

The film received the special recognition for its emotional opening in a way that men are usually mocked and for filming with a “convincing visual language”.

“Manifesto” by Angie Vinchito from Russia won the grand prix in the international competition.

This found footage film is composed entirely of often-shocking videos that Russian teenagers have posted on social media. Innocent morning rituals on YouTube or TikTok have been placed next to shots of panicking young people fleeing school shooters. And students all over Russia are apparently secretly recording images of violent teachers who can’t keep their hands to themselves. In class they are told that a woman must have sex with her husband whenever he wants; furthermore, students are called idiots and are beaten. One critical teenager is threateningly told that a report will be made about her political views.

Photo: A scene from “Dream’s Gate” by Iranian filmmaker Negin Ahmadi.

MMS