The Monte-Carlo Television Festival: Recipients of the Special Prizes have been Announced

Laurent Puons, CEO of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival (14th – 18th June), announced the recipients of the Special Prizes, awarded each year in collaboration with the AMADE and the Monaco Red Cross.

Mines of Death, winner of the AMADE Prize

This year, the AMADE Prize, will be awarded to the technical film Mines of Death. A documentary produced by TV4 Sweden, and the journalist Håkan Enmark and filmed by Daniel Gökinan. AMADE’s special award rewards a television program that echoes one of AMADE’s core missions: protect the most vulnerable children from violence, exploitation and abuse, increase access to education and increase access to health.

The mines of death are located in Congo-Kinshasa, one of the world’s most corrupt countries. We discover large-scale child labour, poisoned drinking water and mindless violence – caused by mining companies with close relations to the Swedish state.  Every day Emíl risks his life in a hand-dug tunnel 90 meters deep in his own backyard. Since Emíl’s family was forcibly displaced, the hole in the ground is their main source of income. Even the children in the family participate in the mining work.  The Swedish government authority must only support business that do not violate human rights. Despite a series of warnings, the authorities chooses to grant support for nearly 200 million dollars.  Join our team down the hand-dug tunnels where the lives of the barefoot workers hang by a fragile thread.

The Law of The Sea, recipient of the Monaco Red Cross Special Prize

Produced by Studio 60, RTVE and A Punt, the serie The Law of the Sea, directed by Alberto Ruiz Rojo, with Mar Diaz, Flipy and Rafa Parbus as executive producers and Tatiana Rodriguez and Victor Pedreira as screenwriters, will receive the Special Prize of the Monaco Red Cross.

This Prize alternately rewards a documentary which best highlights a principle or several principles of international humanitarian law, or a contemporary fiction program that demonstrates at least one of the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross: Humanity, Impartiality, Independence, Neutrality, Charity, Unity and Universality.

This is a film based on the true story of the fishing boat ‘Francisco y Catalina’ from the town of Santa Pola, Alicante, Spain, which made the news in 2006 as the first European boat to rescue 51 sub-Saharan immigrants adrift in international Mediterranean waters, one hundred miles from Malta. The Law of the Sea shows the world a story of solidarity and survival in which the real protagonists, Spanish fishermen from the city of Alicante, moved by humanity, put the international laws in check to save a group of immigrants in the middle of the sea; the event changed the European legislation on immigration after a heroic struggle between “the Laws of the Sea” and “the Laws of the Land”.

The Prince Rainier III Special Prize for Wie extrem wird das Wetter, Sven Plöger?

Produced by Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion GmbH, the documentary was broadcasted for the first time on the german channel ARD – Das Erste. The author of How extreme will the weather be, Sven Plöger? is the Dr. Luise Wagner. Christina Seidemann, Gabriele Trost are producers and Julia Klüssendorf is the co-producer.

The power of El Nino Famous German meteorologist Sven Plöger travels to Panama to find answers to one of the most important questions in climate discussions: How does the current climate phenomenon “El Nino” affect our weather?  Extreme storms on the one hand, dryness und and climbing temperatures on the other: Panama shows it in a nutshell.  Meteorologist Sven Plöger speaks to world famous scientists who examine rainforest trees: How is it possible to cultivate climate resistant trees? We need them as CO2-cleaners! He is on a highly equipped research vessel to find out: Will we head into a second Pliocene – climate-wise? Which cities will be under water if the oceans keep warming and rising? Gigantic pictures of the rainforest and a constructive, hartwarming scientific glimpse into future techniques.

Judged by international experts, the winners of these renowned Special Prizes are selected from across the globe as part of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival’s Golden Nymph Awards. The laureates will be presented with their awards on the final evening of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival at the Closing Ceremony, on Tuesday, June 18, at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, in the presence of H.S.H. Princess Charlene.