Dogwoof Documentaries Restrepo and Budrus have both been shortlisted for the Grierson 2011 British Documentary Awards. Restrepo is shortlisted for Best Cinema Documentary and Budrus for Best Newcomer Documentary.
Winner of the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, and heralded as possibly the best war film ever made, Restrepo focuses on the deployment of a US platoon in Afghanistan’s hostile Korengal Valley . Over the course of 15 months, the late filmmaker Tim Hetherington and filmmaker Sebastian Junger (author of The Perfect Storm) lived with the unit shadowing their every move, resulting in extraordinary footage. From spectacular combat and ambush scenes to difficult discussions with local village elders, civilian and military deaths, never before has such access been granted. Restrepo is as close as it gets to seeing what life as a soldier is really like.
Budrus is an award-winning feature documentary film about a Palestinian community organizer, Ayed Morrar, who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier. Success eludes them until his 15-year-old daughter, Iltezam, launches a women’s contingent that quickly moves to the front lines. Struggling side by side, father and daughter unleash an inspiring, yet little-known, movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that is still gaining ground today.
Established in 1972, the Grierson Awards recognise and celebrate documentaries from Britain and abroad that have made a significant contribution to the genre and that demonstrate quality, integrity, creativity, originality and overall excellence.
Awards are given in a number of categories, including Arts, History, Science and Contemporary Theme, as well as to first time and student filmmakers.
All the shortlisted films will go through to the next round of judging in September when four nominations in each category will be decided. The full shortlist of films can be found at http://www.griersontrust.org/grierson-awards-the-british-documentary-awards/shortlist.html