War on Screen festival highlights global conflicts

From October 5 to 11, the 14th edition of the War on Screen festival focused on how war is portrayed in cinema. Held in Châlons-en-Champagne, the event featured films, documentaries, and animated works, along with discussions and professional networking. The festival emphasized the relevance of its theme in light of ongoing global conflicts.

Festival director emphasizes rising conflicts

Édouard Chapot, the festival’s director, remarked that "Never before have so many conflicts been recorded by the UN since World War II." This statement underscored the festival’s timing, as it took place amid a period of heightened global tensions and multiple active conflicts.

Documentary wins top prize

Among the ten films in competition, L'Autre Côté du soleil by Tawfik Sabouni won the Grand Prize of War on Screen. The documentary explores the Saidnaya prison in Syria, where Sabouni was imprisoned in 2011. It features former prisoners revisiting the now-deserted facility, which was once one of the worst prisons in the world.

Rwandan film honored for themes of healing

Ben'Imana, directed by Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, received the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2026. The film addresses themes of forgiveness and reconstruction in the aftermath of the Tutsi genocide, focusing on a citizens' trial initiative in Rwanda.

Iranian film recognized by multiple juries

Viendra la révolution by Pegah Ahangarani was awarded a Special Mention by the International Jury and both the Press Jury Prize and the Student Jury Prize. The film had previously been shown at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025 and had already won three awards at the War on Screen festival.

Yemeni film explores life in a war-torn setting

Les Femmes de la station by Sara Ishaq, a debut fiction film, portrays life at a gas station in the Yemeni desert reserved for women. The film balances themes of hope and fear as the war inevitably impacts the protagonist's life.

Other award-winning films recognized

Other notable winners included No Good Men by Shahrbanoo Sadat, which took the Audience Prize, and Memories of a Window by Mehraneh Salimian and Amin Pakparvar, which won the Grand Prize of the High School Jury for short films. When the Sea Was Calm by Mamuka Tkeshelashvili won the Audience Prize for Short Film.