Venice Biennale President Paolo Baratta poses on the eve the 65th Venice Film Festival at the Venice Lido in August 2008. The Mexican short film "Tierra y Pan" (Land and Bread) won the Golden Lion award Thursday at the 65th Venice International Film Festival. (Xinhua/AFP File Photo)

 

The Mexican short film "Tierra y Pan" (Land and Bread) won the Golden Lion award Thursday at the 65th Venice International Film Festival, according to news reports reaching in Mexico City.

The jury said within a few minutes and a single space, the author has managed to tell a dramatic story of misery and loneliness.

The jury formed by Amos Poe, the president, along with Italian movie historian Gianni Rondolino and China's Macao filmmaker Joana Vicente, voted unanimously to award the prize to the Mexican director, Carlos Armella.

Mexican Director Eugenio Polgovsky received the prize on behalf of Armella, saying that "we feel extremely happy, and he wants to dedicate this award to everyone who has worked in the film and the festival."

In Mexico, Armella said he was surprised and happy when hearing of the news.

Armella said the short film was shot in the Mexican state of Puebla with a budget of 20,000 U.S. dollars, adding that "it's a movie without dialogues so it helped make it more universal."

The festival also gave a special mention to film "Vacsora" by Hungarian director Karichi Perlmann. And the best European short film was awarded to "De onbaatzuchtigen" by Belgian Dejaegher Koen.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2008)