The Sara Gómez Award for Best Documentary Film

Neighbour Abdi (Douwe Dijkstra, Netherlands, 2022)

With an innovative approach, great editing and real affection for his protagonist, Douwe Dijkstra tells the life story of his Somali-born workshop neighbour Abdi. The film manages to surprise the audience on many levels. By re-enacting and simultaneously documenting the creation process, Dijkstra creates multiple levels and succeeds in telling a story about childhood experiences of war, migration and overcoming a history of crime with lightness and depth. Neighbour Abdi is not only an impressive portrait, but also leaves room for an examination of racism in the Netherlands and a reflection on film-making itself.