International Competition Award: FUCK THE POLIS by Rita Azevedo Gomes

Georges de Beauregard International Award: FRÍO METAL by Clemente Castor

Special mention of the International Competition Jury: COBRE by Nicolás Pereda

French Competition Award: BONNE JOURNÉE by Pauline Bastard

Georges de Beauregard National Award: HORS-CHAMP, LES OMBRES by Anna Dubosc, Gustavo de Mattos Jahn

Cnap (National Centre for Visual Arts) Award: DES MILLÉNAIRES D’ABSENCE by Philippe Rouy

Special mention of the Cnap (National Centre for Visual Arts) Jury: L’AMOUR SUR LE CHEMIN DES RONCETTES by Sophie Roger

First Film Award: FANTAISIE by Isabel Pagliai

Special mention of the First Film Competition Jury: LOS CRUCES by Julián Galay

Special mention of the First Film Competition Jury: SI NOUS HABITONS UN ÉCLAIR by Louise Chevillotte

Claudia Cardinale Foundation Award: FERNLICHT by Johanna Schorn Kalinsky

Cine+ Distribution support Award in partnership with GNCR: MORTE E VIDA MADALENA by Guto Parente

Flash Competition Award: گل‌های شب ِدریا by Maryam Tafakory

Special mention of the Flash Competition Jury: A PRELUDE by Wendelien van Oldenborgh

Special mention of the Flash Competition Jury: CONTROL ANATOMY by Mahmoud Alhaj

Special mention of the Flash Competition Jury: LENGUA MUERTA by José Jiménez

Alice Guy Award: ABORTION PARTY by Julia Mellen

Renaud Victor Award: BULAKNA by Leonor Noivo

Special mention of the Renaud Victor Jury: SI NOUS HABITONS UN ÉCLAIR by Louise Chevillotte

High School Award: NEXT LIFE by Tenzin Phuntsog

Special mention of the High School Jury: MIRACULOUS ACCIDENT by Assaf Gruber

The Second Chance School Award: NEXT LIFE by Tenzin Phuntsog

Special mention of the Second Chance School Jury: JACOB’S HOUSE by Lucas Kane

Audience Award: LA JUVENTUD ES UNA ISLA by Louise Ernandez

International Competition Award: FUCK THE POLIS by Rita Azevedo Gomes

Georges de Beauregard International Award: FRÍO METAL by Clemente Castor

Special mention of the International Competition Jury: COBRE by Nicolás Pereda

French Competition Award: BONNE JOURNÉE by Pauline Bastard

Georges de Beauregard National Award: HORS-CHAMP, LES OMBRES by Anna Dubosc, Gustavo de Mattos Jahn

Cnap (National Centre for Visual Arts) Award: DES MILLÉNAIRES D’ABSENCE by Philippe Rouy

Special mention of the Cnap (National Centre for Visual Arts) Jury: L’AMOUR SUR LE CHEMIN DES RONCETTES by Sophie Roger

First Film Award: FANTAISIE by Isabel Pagliai

Special mention of the First Film Competition Jury: LOS CRUCES by Julián Galay

Special mention of the First Film Competition Jury: SI NOUS HABITONS UN ÉCLAIR by Louise Chevillotte

Claudia Cardinale Foundation Award: FERNLICHT by Johanna Schorn Kalinsky

Cine+ Distribution support Award in partnership with GNCR: MORTE E VIDA MADALENA by Guto Parente

Flash Competition Award: گل‌های شب ِدریا by Maryam Tafakory

Special mention of the Flash Competition Jury: A PRELUDE by Wendelien van Oldenborgh

Special mention of the Flash Competition Jury: CONTROL ANATOMY by Mahmoud Alhaj

Special mention of the Flash Competition Jury: LENGUA MUERTA by José Jiménez

Alice Guy Award: ABORTION PARTY by Julia Mellen

Renaud Victor Award: BULAKNA by Leonor Noivo

Special mention of the Renaud Victor Jury: SI NOUS HABITONS UN ÉCLAIR by Louise Chevillotte

High School Award: NEXT LIFE by Tenzin Phuntsog

Special mention of the High School Jury: MIRACULOUS ACCIDENT by Assaf Gruber

The Second Chance School Award: NEXT LIFE by Tenzin Phuntsog

Special mention of the Second Chance School Jury: JACOB’S HOUSE by Lucas Kane

Audience Award: LA JUVENTUD ES UNA ISLA by Louise Ernandez

The Case Against Space, The Case Against Space

Graeme Arnfield

50’

The Case Against Space is an essay film that looks back at the hidden histories of labor struggles in outer space: the film depicts what appears to be the first organised strike outside Earth’s orbit to date. The action took place in 1973, aboard the Skylab, NASA’s first orbital space station. As the Christmas break approached, the three astronauts - Jerry Carr, William R. Pogue and Edward G. Gibson - ceased all work and turned off communications due to disagreements with their superiors over their working conditions. Observed almost 24 hours a day, they had to constantly provide data and perform exhausting experiments. Following their action, NASA gave into some of the astronauts’ demands for a fairer time living and working in outer space, a struggle that remains to this day.

Director’s statement

The Case Against Space aims to recreate the day before the strike: a tense day filled with absurd experiments, invasive medical examinations and constant monitoring. Based on a study of transcripts of exchanges between the three astronauts and NASA mission control on the ground, and a dose of speculation, the film proposes a reconstruction of these events, recreating the interior of the Skylab in a studio, in a deliberately lo-fi claustrophobic aesthetic (no question of recreating life in weightlessness). The film will feature three actors who will be filmed mainly with 70s-style CCTV B&W cameras, the black box acting as the theatre of life on Skylab, as well as with 16mm and Super8 color cameras imitating the style of NASA documentation. The film will show how the astronauts’ actions can be considered unprecedented, and constitute a vibrant testimony to the history of space exploration. It is a counter-history to the narratives of exceptionalism and individualism that have taken root within the institutions in charge of space exploration, from the space race to the present day. The film is a testament to those who have fought collectively to gain greater autonomy, for a better future to come, on Earth and in outer space.

Technical sheet

  • Production:
    Local Vertical (Elizabeth Dexter, Graeme Arnfield : localverticalfilms@gmail.com)
    Les Films invisibles (Boris Garavini : boris@lesfilmsinvisibles.com)
  • Budget:
    138 000 €
  • Acquired budget:
    48 000 €
  • Funds:
    Bourse FLAMIN - Film London Artist Moving Image Network dans le cadre de Film London
  • Shooting country:
    United Kingdom