L’Œil d’or 2025 : Déni Oumar Pitsaev & Eugene Jarecki
The tenth L’Œil d’or jury was chaired by Julie Gayet and composed of Carmen Castillo, Juliette Favreul-Renaud, Frédéric Maire, and Marc Zinga. The jury had 14 films to watch. In addition to the 11 films from the Official Selection: one documentary from the Critics’ Week, another from the Directors’ Fortnight, and, for the first time, two films from ACID were also invited to compete.
L’Œil d’or 2025
Imago by Déni Oumar Pitsaev
France/Belgium – 1h49’ (CRITICS’WEEK)
Production Triptyques films / Need productions
When Déni inherits a small patch of land in the wild, beautiful valley of Pankissi, he sees a chance to finally build the house in the trees that he’s dreamed of since he was a boy. But nothing in the rugged Caucasus is ever simple. Returning to a village just across the Chechen border where he was born – a place he barely knows – Déni stirs up old feuds, buried family dramas, and above all, the question everyone keeps asking: when, and with whom, is he finally going to get married?
Imago gives voice to the unspeakable by evoking with power and subtlety the scars of the wars. Grounded in a sublime nature that serves both as refuge and memory, it explores solitude, exile, unspoken truths, and the silent transmission of history. Without ever forcing reality, the film creates a space for contemplation that opens up a universal reflection on identity and resilience. A film marked by restraint, which reinforces its sincerity, where the documentary reaches both the intimate and the universal.
Jury's note
Jury’s special prize for L’œil d’or 10th anniversary
The Six Billion Dollar Man de Eugene Jarecki
USA/Germany/France – 2h06 (OFFICIAL SELECTION – SPECIAL SCREENINGS)
Production Charlotte Street Films
Being a journalist has never been as dangerous as it is today, in a world where the defence of truth is under attack from all sides. This film traces the saga of Julian Assange, a contemporary icon of the right to information, whose recent release from prison has reignited the global debate on press freedom. Thanks to privileged access to Wikileaks footage and archives and never-before-seen evidence, this documentary takes the form of a high-tech international thriller.
In these uncertain times, when political and corporate powers threaten public and individual freedoms, the jury pays tribute to Eugene Jarecki’s film and Julian Assange’s fight. A rigorous demonstration, an unrelenting analysis that shows that whatever the circumstances, resistance is the only possible path.
Jury's note
Created in 2015 by the Cannes Film Festival andLaScam (French-speaking society for non-fiction authors), the Golden Eye awards each year a documentary presented in the official selections of the Festival.
L’Œil d’or – The documentary prize celebrates its 10th anniversary in partnership with INA.
The prize amounts to € 5,000 awarded by LaScam to the winner.
