Documentary, 51′, 2020
Director
Reka Valerik
Co-writer
Anaïs Llobet
Production
Dublin Films
Coproduction
Need Productions (Belgium) & Maelstrom Studios (France)
International sales
CAT&Docs
Digital Marketing
Elephant
Synopsis
Khavaj, a young MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter, fled Chechnya when his brother discovered his homosexuality and promised to kill him, under the persecution of Kadyrov’s regime. In Brussels, facing the shock of exil, he is struck by mutism. The only link that he keeps with Chechnya are the vocal messages that his mother sends him.
The film traces Khavaj’s first months in Belgium. Forced to live in total anonymity to escape the Chechen diaspora, he will try to build a new identity.
Teaser
Stills
2020
IDFA – Competition for Mid-Length Documentary (Netherlands, November)
2021
FIPADOC – Official competition, National Documentary (France, January)
ArtDocFest Moscou and St-Petersbourg – Official competition (Russia, april)
ArtDocFest Riga – Grand Jury Prize (Latvia, april)
HotDocs international documentary festival – Best Mid-Length Award (Canada, april/may)
Millenium International Documentary Film – Young Vision competition (Belgium, may) ☆ Best Film award
DOXA Documentary Film Festival – International competition (Canada, may)
Pinkapple queer film festival – Official competition (Switzerland, may)
One World International Film Festival – Russian Standard section (Czech Republic, may)
Diaspora Film Festival – Diaspora in Focus : Rainbow Refugees section (South Korea, may)
Biografilm Festival – International competition (Italy, June) ☆ Special mention
One World Romania – section No place like home (Roumania, June)
Queer Film Days – Queer & Migrant International film (Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, june)
Festival de Brive – International Medium-lenght encounters (France, July) ☆ Jury Prize for the International competition
DocAviv – International competition (Israel, july)
First Look – Museum of the Moving Image (USA, july)
Barbican Centre – Programme New East Cinema (England, august)
XPOSED Queer Festival – Official competition (Germany, august) ☆ Audience Choice Lolly Award
États généraux du film documentaire – Éxpériences du regard section (France, august)
Festival Millennium Docs Against Gravity – Competition, section Man in Film (Poland, September)
Beldocs Festival – EleMental and Fireworks section (Serbia, september)
Queer Lisboa – Documentary competition (Portugal, september)
Corsica Doc – Official short film competition (France, October) ☆ Jury Prize
Crocevia di Sguardi festival (Italia, october)
Outshine Film festival – Official selection (USA, october)
Festival International du Cinéma des Peuples Ânûû-rû Âboro – International competition (New-Caledonia, october)
Festival DocsMx – Official competition, Global Docs section (Mexico, October) ☆ Special mention
FLIMM – Out of compétition (France, october)
Les Escales Documentaires – Official competition (France, november) ☆ Jury's special mention
Festival Interférences – Competition (Lyon, novembre)
International Queer & Migrant Film Festival (Amsterdam, november)
Chéries-Chéris – Compétition officielle (Paris, november) ☆ Jury Prize
Traces de Vies – Competition officielle (Clermont-Ferrand, november)
2022
Trieste Film Festival – Carte Blanche Vitaly Mansky section (Italy, january)
Antenna Documentary Film Festival – Official competition (Australia, February) ☆ Special Mention
Ecrans Mixtes – Official competition (Lyon, march) ☆ Jury Prize
Zinegoak – Officiel selection Krak (Bilbao, march) ☆ Best Film
In&Out – Official Selection (Nice, May)
Rencontres Intergalactiques de sports de combat – Official Selection (Grenoble, May)
Ânûû-Rû Âboro – International Competition Medium-lenght (New-Caledonia, October) ☆ Best Medium-lenght Film Prize
Social Film Festival – Official Selection (France, October) ☆ CAF 75-92's Jury Prize
Festival Vrai de Vrai, Les étoiles du Documentaire – Closing Film (France, November)
La Cabina, Amalgama Section (Spain, November) ☆ Best Medium Lenght, Best Film Editing, Best Audiovisual Wrinting, Best Film Youth Jury & Best Film Senior Jury.
Documentary, 51', 2020
Director : Reka Valerik
Co-writer : Anaïs Llobet
Production : Dublin Films
Coproduction : Need Productions (Belgium) & Maelstrom Studios (France)
Shooting: October/November 2019 (Belgium)
Screenplay: Reka Valerik
Co-author: Anaïs Llobet
Cinematography: Arnaud Alberola
Assistant director: Sonam Larcin
Sound: Hélène Clerc Denizot
Editing: Jeanne Oberson
Sound editing: N'Dembo Ziavoula et Julie Brenta
Mix: Aline Gavroy
Color grading: Lucie Bruneteau
With the support of Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, CNC (Contribution financière), Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, TV7 Bordeaux and Sabam.
Synopsis
Khavaj, a young MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter, fled Chechnya when his brother discovered his homosexuality and promised to kill him, under the persecution of Kadyrov’s regime. In Brussels, facing the shock of exil, he is struck by mutism. The only link that he keeps with Chechnya are the vocal messages that his mother sends him.
The film traces Khavaj’s first months in Belgium. Forced to live in total anonymity to escape the Chechen diaspora, he will try to build a new identity.
Teaser
Stills
