Czech-Slovak documentary If Pigeons Turned to Gold wins Caligari Prize at Berlinale

A Czech-Slovak documentary by Czech director Pepa Lubojacki has won the Caligari Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, Berlinale.

The film If Pigeons Turned to Gold was selected as the best film in the Forum section by a three-member independent jury, festival organisers said on Saturday. Shot on a mobile phone, the documentary explores why Lubojacki’s brother and two cousins became homeless and struggle with addiction.

The Caligari Prize is awarded to the best film in the festival’s Forum section by an independent jury.

A Czech or Slovak film has not previously won the Caligari Prize. The last filmmaker from Central and Eastern Europe to receive it was Hungarian director Béla Tarr in 1994 for his film Satantango.