Cannes: 'For Sama,' 'Cordillera of Dreams' Tie for Golden Eye Documentary Prize

The the films about the conflict in Syria and Chile's political history were jointly awarded the top prize.

Syrian conflict documentary For Sama and Chilean political portrait The Cordillera of Dreams have been jointly awarded the Golden Eye prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Directed by duo Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, For Sama tells al-Kateab's story of being a young mother through the beginning of the war in 2012 through the fall of Aleppo in December 2016. The Cordillera of Dreams is Patricio Guzmán's third and final instalment in his Chilean trilogy, in which he mediates on the past and future of his home country and the aftershocks of Pinochet's coup d'etat.

The winners are automatically eligible for Oscar submission in the Best Documentary category. Both were part of the main Official Selection.

This year's jury was headed by French filmmaker Yolande Zauberman, along with actress Romane Bohringer, actor Eric Caravaca, Bright Leaves director Ross McElwee and Havana Film Festival head Ivan Giroud.

It was the first year the prize was on the official schedule, and was presented by film festival head Thierry Fremaux and president Pierre Lescure.

The annual prize for nonfiction films is selected from across Cannes festival programming lineups, including the Official Selection, Un Certain Regard, special and out-of-competition screenings, short films, Cannes Classics, Directors’ Fortnight, Critics’ Week and ACID sidebars.

The Golden Eye was founded in 2015 by the French writers’ union SCAM, with the support of the festival, France’s National Audiovisual Institute and Audiens.