The IDFA award for best director went to Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly for his personal film essay Life Is Beautiful.
Jabaly found himself stranded in Norway after he visited the country on an exchange and the borders of his home Gaza were closed, making him temporarily stateless.
The film contrasts his seemingly idyllic life in rural Norway, where the community of Tromsø makes every effort to support him, with agonizing images and messages he receives from his family and friends in Gaza.
The current conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas has been the subject of debate at this year’s IDFA.
Pro-Palestinian protestors disrupted the festival’s opening night ceremonies and both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian filmmakers have criticized festival organizers for statements made in reference to the war.
Several directors pulled their films from the festival in protest, demanding the resignation of the director of IDFA.
