Comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi speaks at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival awards. Looking on (in striped sweater) is ‘Coexistence, My Ass!’ director Amber Fares. Matthew Carey
Coexistence, My Ass!, a film about Israeli comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi who dares to advocate for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians, won the Golden Alexander Sunday at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, TiDF’s top award.
Shuster-Eliassi attended the awards ceremony in the Greek port city, along with director Amber Fares and fellow members of the production. The comedian, whose one-woman show became the basis for the documentary, acknowledged her parents who were on hand for the event.
“My first political teacher, my father, is up there [in the balcony]. The first memory I have of my father is him going in and out of Israeli military prison for refusing to serve in the occupied Palestinian Territories,” Shuster-Eliassi noted. “Our activism and how we demonstrate equality, and freedom, and liberation is not just in one protest or one activity or one thing or one joke. It’s demonstrating what we envision the alternative is with your body, with your languages… using our privilege to make sure that my Palestinian friends will be free.”
“Two weeks ago, a Palestinian comedian, a colleague of mine, made jokes in Israel and the police showed up in at his home and took him and arrested him for telling jokes,” Shuster-Eliassi said. “And I’m here because there is still a little crack of freedom of speech that I get because of my privilege as an Israeli Jew.”
On a more humorous note, Shuster-Eliassi also brought up the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “When I changed from political activism into comedy, it was because I heard that in The Ukraine, a Jewish comedian wrote a sitcom about becoming the president and he became the president!” she said. “So, I thought if I want to take my political career seriously, I need to start writing jokes because I know that when you’re laughing, you’re listening.”
Winning the Golden Alexander automatically qualifies Coexistence, My Ass! for consideration as Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards. In addition to the Golden Alexander, Fares’s film also won the Human Rights in Motion Award, presented by the Council of Europe.
While in Geneva the 23rd FIFDH announced its winners:
The documentary The Brink of Dreams by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir and the crime-drama Santosh by Sandhya Suri have received the Grand Prizes at the Geneva-based human rights gathering
The Brink of Dreams by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir (left) and Santosh by Sandhya Suri
The 23rd Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) has concluded its 7-16 March run, drawing in over 31,000 attendees and hosting experts to dissect current affairs, move beyond shock and inspire collective action. Showcasing global films that highlight human rights, the festival reaffirmed its status as a key event for audiences and professionals alike, fostering dialogue on pressing geopolitical and social challenges.
At the closing ceremony, Laila Alonso Huarte and Laura Longobardi, the festival’s co-editorial directors, mentioned: “We’re proud to see that the winning films are not only powerful and innovative in cinematic terms, but also warrant international support given the filmmakers’ commitment to and courage in confronting the many social, political and economic challenges in their countries.”
In the International Documentary Competition, the jury awarded the Geneva Grand Prix, valued at CHF 10,000 (€10,300) and sponsored by the city of Geneva, to The Brink of Dreams [+] by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir. Highlighting their decision, the jury stated, “This poignant film follows the aspirations of five young Egyptian women seeking freedom – a freedom threatened by traditions and restrictions imposed in their village. Rich in cinematic creativity, it tackles sensitive issues such as forced marriage and sexual harassment, exposing how women’s rights remain precarious in the region.”
Here is the full list of award winners at the 23rd FIFDH:
International Documentary Competition
Geneva Grand Prix
The Brink of Dreams [+] – Nada Riyadh, Ayman El Amir (Egypt/France/Denmark/Qatar/Saudi Arabia)
FIFDH Gilda Vieira de Mello Prize
Khartoum [+] – Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad, Timeea Mohamed Ahmed, Phil Cox (Sudan/UK/Germany/Qatar)
Youth Jury Prize – Documentary
Writing Hawa [+] – Najiba Noori, Rasul Noori (France/Netherlands/Qatar/Afghanistan)
Fiction Competition
Fiction Grand Award
Santosh [+] – Sandhya Suri (UK/Germany/France/India)
Special Mentions
Cosmos – Germinal Roaux (Switzerland/France/Mexico)
Sugar Island [+] – Johanné Gómez Terrero (Dominican Republic/Spain)
Youth Jury Prize – Fiction
In the Land of Brothers [+] – Raha Amirfazli, Alireza Ghasemi (Iran/France/Netherlands)
Focus Competition
Vision for Human Rights Award
There Is Another Way – Stephen Apkon (USA/Palestine/Israel)
Special Jury – In Hospitals/Convergences Award
Flying Hands [+] – Paula Iglesias, Marta Gómez (Spain)
Special Jury – In Correctional Facilities/La Brenaz Jury Award
Life Is Beautiful [+] – Mohamed Jabaly (Norway/Palestine)
Champ-Dollon Jury Award
Riverboom – Claude Baechtold (Switzerland)
https://deadline.com/2025/03/2025-thessaloniki-international-documentary-festival-awards-1236327780/
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 