Imperium, by Sergei Loznitsa, won the Best Film Award at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, which concluded on October 18. The documentary, composed entirely of archival footage shot between 1970 and 1973, offers a portrait of the Soviet Union in the early 1970s through material that reconstructs its social and cultural landscape.
The official competition jury, chaired by director Sam Pollard and also comprising Mariano Llinás and Julie La Bassière, praised the film’s breadth of perspective and its ability to evoke everyday life before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In its statement, the jury described the work as visually striking and emotionally engaging, exploring a rarely represented historical context through the richness of its archives.
The Sutherland Award, which recognizes a first feature, went to 9 Temples to Heaven, by Thai filmmaker Sompot Chidgasornpongse. The jury, chaired by actor Amir El-Masry and comprising Alemberg Ang and Rosa Bosch, praised the film’s gentle humour, spiritual dimension and humanity. It also highlighted its visual approach and meditative exploration of a story about life and death that transcends borders and generations.
In the documentary competition, the Grierson Award went to Concrete Land, by Asmahan Bkerat. The jury, led by director Sandhya Suri alongside Kate Fitzpatrick and Andee Ryder, recognized the precision of the film’s visual composition, sound design and image-making, as well as the trusting relationship established between the filmmaker and the family at the centre of the documentary.
The jury also highlighted the film’s ability to portray, across generations, a family’s resilience and dignity in the face of the erasure of its culture and traditions. In the jury’s view, the work stands out for its observational approach and the sense of intimacy it builds with its characters.
The 70th edition of the festival concluded on October 18 with the UK premiere of The Debut, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, as the closing-night film, bringing two weeks of screenings to an end.
Best Film
Imperium – Sergei Loznitsa (Germany/Italy/France/Lithuania)
Sutherland Award
9 Temples to Heaven – Sompot Chidgasornpongse (Thailand/Singapore/France/Norway/China/Hong Kong/Indonesia/Qatar)
Special Mention
Masc – Bertil Nilsson (UK)
Grierson Award
Concrete Land – Asmahan Bkerat (Jordan/Palestine)
Special Mention
Queer Edward II – Theo Rollason (UK)
Short Film Award
Aman – Rahul Roye (UK/USA/India/France)
Special Mention
Daughters of the Late Colonel – Elizabeth Hobbs (UK/Germany)