The film The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and
Disappeared by Swedish director Felix Herngren and 1994: The
Bloody Miracle, a documentary directed by Meg Rickards and Bert Haisma
are the winners of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) audience
awards. The festival took place from 17 to 27 July in Kwazulu Natal.
The winning feature film The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window
and Disappeared is based on the internationally best-selling novel by Jonas
Jonasson. The story is a black comedy which features an irrepressible pensioner
and dynamite expert who escapes from a retirement home. He subsequently
embarks on a cross-county adventure and reflects on a past filled with
extraordinary events and famous historical figures. The film received nearly
unanimous votes of excellent from the DIFF audience.
The DIFF 2014 audience award for best documentary was given to 1994: The
Bloody Miracle, a film which chronicles the many deaths and widespread chaos
in South Africa during the early “90s when the country made its transition into
democracy.
Over 700 people from the local and international industry attended DIFF and the
Durban FilmMart (DFM). The festival featured 202 films which screened at over
nine venues filling 30 300 seats.
Visit the DIFF and DFM websites for more
information.
