Rabia and Planète B triumph at the Sarlat festival (winners)

Benjamin Voisin (Summer 85, Lost Illusions) also received an acting award for Playing with Fire.

The 33rd Sarlat festival, in Dordogne, was held from November 5 to 9, welcoming 600 high school students from all over France preparing for a baccalaureate with a cinema option. In addition to the workshops organized to discover several professions in the 7th art, and the creation of short films in the heart of the city and the film studio project within the former premises of France Tabac, helped by the advice of teachers and professionals, they were able to attend numerous screenings. Around forty feature films were on the program throughout the event, including a cycle dedicated to the work of Olivier Assayas. Its Irma Vep was thus the common thread of this edition, appearing on the festival poster, then strolling through the streets of the city to announce the launch of the event:

Six films were in competition this year: Their children after themby Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma, Planet Bby Aude Léa Rapin, Rabiaby Mareike Engelhardt, Drama Queensby Alexis Langlois, Play with fireby Delphine and Muriel Coulin and Hello asylumby Judith Davis. Eclectic proposals, mixing intimate drama, anticipation cinema, musical comedy, committed film… Like the other selections, the young audience having for example been very receptive to The Pampasby Antoine Chevrollier or With Fanfareby Emmanuel Courcol.

This year, the students clearly fell in love with Rabiawho won three prizes on his own, shortly after its already very warm welcome at the Deauville festival. Worn by Megan Northam – the actress Greek salad was also honored for her performance – and prohibited for children under 12, the film follows a young woman leaving for Syria to join Daesh. Arriving in Raqqa, she joins a house for future wives of fighters and quickly finds herself the prisoner of Madame, the charismatic director who holds the place with an iron fist.

Rabia: trailer for the shock film about the jihad widow

Planet Ban ambitious SF proposal featuring eco-terrorists imprisoned in a virtual reality (led by Adèle Exarchopoulos), was also praised by young spectators.

Just like the performance of Benjamin Voisin, impressive as a young man gradually falling into violence, influenced by an extreme right group in Play with fire. A few weeks ago, it was his acting partner Vincent Lindon who received an acting award for this same film, at the Venice Film Festival.

Here is the complete winners of the 33rd Sarlat film festival:

Golden salamander, public prize
Rabia by Mareike Engelhardt (France, Germany, Belgium) Released November 27

Golden salamander, high school students prize
Planet B by Aude Léa Rapin (France, Belgium) – Released December 25

Golden salamander, young jury prize
Rabia by Mareike Engelhardt

Golden Salamander, interpretation prize awarded by the young jury
Megan Northam in Rabia by Mareike Engelhardt and Benjamin Voisin in Play with fire by Muriel and Delphine Coulin (France, Belgium) Released January 22, 2025

Golden salamander, short film jury prize
Robespierre by Pierre Menahem

Special mention
Montsouris by Guil Sela

Prize for best high school films
1st price
Picz from the Jean Monnet high school in Saint-Étienne

2nd price
The king of idiots from the Jean XXIII high school in Montiny-lès-Metz

3rd price
Coffee break from Joséphine Baker high school – Pré de Cordy

Favorite prize from the 3IS Bordeaux school
Who is Charlie from Max Linder high school in Libourne