Prix Inalco (FICA)

2024: Snow Leopard by Pema Tseden (China) for its look at the beauty of Tibetan mountains and the symbolic importance of the beings who inhabit them, for its approach to diplomatic relations between humans and non-humans, for its presentation of the legal difficulties of dealing with environmental issues.

2023: Behind Veils by Praveen Morchhale (India) for this critical satire of contemporary India, full of humor and finesse. The director tackles serious themes with a light touch, portraying the absurdity and dysfunction of family, administrative, political and social institutions.

2022: Along the Sea by Fujimoto Akio (Japan and Vietnam). The jury wanted to reward a film that sheds particularly significant light on contemporary realities in Asia. It was won over by the accuracy and sobriety with which Along the Sea recounts the journey of migrant women in Japan, and the immense respect the film shows for its protagonists.

2020: A Bedsore by Shim Hye-jung (South Korea) for a tender, humorous and original take on old age, immigration and love.

2019: Rona, Azim's Mother by Jamshid Mahmoudi (Afghanistan) for his talent in telling an intimate story with universal resonance, and the accuracy of the narrative and characters. For his precision in directing and his ability to reveal the complexity and beauty of human relationships by firmly anchoring the story in a current socio-cultural context.

2018: Leaf of Life by Ebrahim Mokhtari (Iran) for the accuracy of his reflection on the relationship between fiction and reality, the anthropological questioning of traditions and for the dreamlike charm of the images.

2017: Emma by Riri Riza (Indonesia) for the strength of character, sincerity and luminosity of this mother, the precision of the details, the music and the beauty of the image.

2016: Tharlo by Pema Tseden (China) for its originality, cinematographic qualities, delicate treatment of the question and definition of identity through its main character.

2015: Melbourne by Nima Javidi (Iran) for the strength of its script, the precision and excellence of the acting and the universal scope of the story.

2014: Qissa by Anup Singh (India) for the richness of its script, the finesse of the acting and the beauty of the image.

2013: Atambua 39° Celsius by Riri Riza (Indonesia) for the exceptional quality of its photography, colors and contrasts, for the characters' quest for identity in the aftermath of a fratricidal conflict, the finesse with which collective destiny and individual trajectory are linked, and the restrained acting.

2012: Final Whistle by Niki Karimi (Iran) for its commitment to fights we care about, notably social justice and the status of women.

2011: Addicted to Love by Liu Hao (China) for the accuracy and delicacy with which he paints his characters, and for his subtle approach to old age and its place within the family.

2010: The Pawn Shop by Milo Sogueco (Philippines) for a film that offers us a look at pity-mounts, ubiquitous in this country.

2009: Daytime Drinking by Noh Young-seok (South Korea). The jury was impressed by this paradoxical road movie in which the protagonist loses himself instead of learning. A first film of high quality, very funny and very misty.

2008: The Purple Harvest by Cai Shangjun (China) for tackling the crisis of the rural world in contemporary China, which has rarely been shown, and the shattering father-son relationship.

2007: Out of sight by Daniel Syrkin (Israel)

2006: Full or Empty by Abolfazl Jalili (Iran)

2005: Story Undone by Hassan Yektapanah (Iran)

2004: Vodka Lemon by Hiner Saleem (Armenia)

2024: Solids by the Seashore by Patiparn Boontarig (Thailand), which mirrors the barriers men build to control the environment and those they establish in the social world. Image, sound and narration serve this parallel that combines substance and form in harmonious accord.

2023: A Letter from Kyoto by Kim Min-ju (South Korea). The jury was enthusiastic about the director's treatment of memory and Japanese-Korean identity.

2022: The Coffin Painter by Da Fei (China) for the beauty of its images and the brilliance with which it was able to transport us to the far reaches of contemporary China to tell us a tender and universal story.

2020: Just Like That by Kislay (India) for its beauty, humanity and delicacy that show us how crucial it is to emancipate oneself from the role imposed by society on everyone. 

2019: Jinpa by Pema Tseden (China) for its ability to take us into a mysterious tale, originality, style, bold beauty and humor that take us into a dream of multiple imaginations. A dream that has become our own.

2018: The Taste of Rice Flower by Pengfei (China) for the reflection on current Chinese society, the representation of traditions and the masterful beauty of the shots.

2017: 500M800M by Yao Tian (China) a definite quality of images, a bold choice of a difficult societal issue and actors who are always right.

2016: Being Good by O Mipo (Japan) for its spirit of generosity and values of transmission to future generations.

2015: A Matter of Interpretation by Lee Kwang-kuk (South Korea) for its poetry, oscillating between dream and reality, and seducing with its photography and humor.

2014: 10 Minutes by Lee Yong-seung (South Korea) for a story touching with its original approach to a very topical subject.

2013: Modest Reception by Mani Haghighi (Iran) for a masterful fable that constantly keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat, oscillating between burlesque and tragedy, humanism and cynicism. The jury was sensitive to its universal scope, the inventiveness of the script and the brilliance of the dialogue.

2012: Dance Town by Jeon Kyu-hwan (South Korea) for its depiction of the city and its questioning of otherness and assimilation.

2011: Riding the Dreams by Girish Kasaravalli (India) for a film that highlights, with singularity and enchantment, the dreamlike universe of Indian tradition.

2010: The Damned Rain by Satish Manwar (India) for its ability to deal with the consequences of the impoverishment of farmers in Maharashtra.

2009: Gulabi Talkies by Girish Kasaravali (India) for a highly original screenplay, a sensitive portrait of a woman against the backdrop of an evocation of the contradictions of today's Indian modernity.

2008: The Old Barber by Hasi Chaolu (China) for the quality of its script and images and the main character witnessing the disappearance of his neighborhood.

2007: On a Friday Afternoon by Mona Zandi Haghighi (Iran)

2006: Touching the Silence by Jahar Kanungo (India)