Whispers in May, Dongnan Chen’s film exploring the rite of passage of a 14-year-old girl in rural China, won the top award at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen Friday night, automatically qualifying the documentary for Oscar consideration.
“Telling mythical stories about hidden worlds is a gift. Giving breadth and depth to quotidian moments is a talent,” the DOX:AWARD jury wrote. “Weaving cinematic forms while allowing reality to resonate is captivating. Ultimately, we were charmed by a young girl’s journey. Walking over the edge of the last days of childhood, this director has succeeded in sharing a modern-day fairytale that heeds monsters and factories, alike.”
Chen was on hand to accept the award. “Thank you for seeing the girls,” she said. “And thank you for seeing us.”
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The DOX:AWARD is the festival’s “flagship competition,
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