| ‘Lion’, produced by See-Saw Films’ Iain Canning and Emile Sherman and distributed by Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company, has been awarded the “Diversity in Film” award by the Zurich Film Festival, which hosted the film’s European premiere at it’s Opening Night past September. The award will be presented by Karl Spoerri, Co-Director of the festival, on December 28th at a special screening of ‘Lion’ in Gstaad hosted by Harvey Weinstein who will accept on behalf of the film.
Directed by Garth Davis, with Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman and Sunny Pawar, ‘Lion’ tells the remarkable true story of five year old Saroo Brierley, who gets lost on a train taking him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Calcutta, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home. The film explores themes of familial love, highlighting the idea that the love we feel for our family, either the one we choose or the one we’re born with, transcends all races, religions, and differences. ‘Lion’ touches on many of the greatest issues of our time including immigration, poverty, and discrimination, sharing the positive impact of tolerance and acceptance of all races and creeds. Zurich Film Festival Co-Directors Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht commented: “At a time when we’ve seen so much divisiveness across the globe, it’s important to have a film that speaks to the power of bringing people together. Love is the driving force that can ultimately create amazing change both for those who give it unconditionally and those who are recipients of it.” ‘Lion’ director, Garth Davis commented: “We are incredibly honored to receive this award. I have always been a firm believer in the power of film and art to create positive change. ‘Lion’ is the perfect example of the power of unconditional love and its ability to transcend any socially constructed differences. At the end of the day, we are all humans and we share an enormous capacity to love and be loved. Now, more than ever, this film reminds us to be open, tolerant, and kind to all people no matter our differences. We are thrilled the Zurich Film Festival has chosen to recognize ‘Lion’ as a champion of these values.” |
|
|
