Улаанбаатар
“Silent City Driver” Wins Grand Prix for Best Film at PÖFF
Art & Culture
Ulaanbaatar, November 25, 2024 /MONTSAME/. A Mongolian film Silent City Driver by Sengedorj Janchivdorj won the Grand Prix for Best Film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival, PÖFF), which is one of the 15 A-tier film festivals accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.
The 28th edition of the PÖFF Festival took place on November 8-24, 2024, in Tallinn, Estonia. The Festival aims to present a comprehensive selection of world cinema from the last two years to local and international audiences, offering fresh film production with high artistic value,
“Each of the PÖFF winners demonstrates in their
own way what can be achieved through the art of cinema. The Grand Prix winner
Silent City Driver is an unparalleled example of the uplifting and
unifying power of cinema,” stated the festival organizers.
Myagmar's life takes an unexpected turn when he gets a job driving a hearse and meets two people who change his life. The film uses Mongolia's striking cityscape and skyline to tell a raw and powerful story of a life lived on the edge, interweaving existential reflections on life and death with a unique cinematic style. The film was written by Sengedorj Janchivdorj, whose previous feature, The Sales Girl (2021), was a hit around the world, winning the Audience Award at PÖFF's summer open-air festival Tartuffe.
The jury commented on the film:
"This dark fairy tale from Mongolia took us by surprise. From the very
first shot on, we felt the sensation of a film breaking new ground. Silent City Driver is a very
stylish film, but the style here is substance, the formal choices are not used
to divert, but to deepen this very cinematic universe, populated by unique
characters, bigger than life, but very human.”
The PÖFF Best Production Design Award went to Munkhbat Shirnen for his work in Silent City Driver. "Production design is an often overlooked tool of storytelling," stated the jury. "While many of the films had bold aesthetic visions, one film stood out not only for its beauty but for the expert use of subtle detail and honesty to build a world that works as an integral part of the storytelling. Every detail seems true and unobtrusive, helping build the characters and the world without pulling attention from the emotional through-line."
