Flee, Great Freedom and Quo Vadis Aida? will compete for LUX Audience Award

December 13, 2021 by European Union 1 Comment

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.

During a ceremony on Saturday, the three films shortlisted for the 2022 LUX Audience Award were revealed at the European Film Awards in Berlin.

Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education Sabine Verheyen (EPP,DE) said:

“European cinema is a mirror of our society. It is one of the easiest ways to communicate our European values such as equality, freedom of expression and democracy. We as the Culture Committee are extremely proud of it.

The films nominated to win the LUX Audience Film Award are, as always, of high artistic quality and each represents a diverse angle of our European story. They deserve our attention because they move us and always make us think. I congratulate everyone who has worked on the selected films. Now the choice is ours. As Europeans, we can all watch and vote for the films. The decision about which film will win the LUX Audience Award is ours to make.”

Discovering the films

“Flee” by Danish director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, produced by Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway. In this animation, Amin recounts his journey as an Afghan child refugee who arrived in Denmark on his own. He tries to make peace with the past but also with himself and the secrets he has been hiding.

“Great Freedom” by Austrian director Sebastian Meise, produced by Austria and Germany. In post-war Germany, Hans ends up imprisoned time and again for being gay. He is denied freedom systematically for breaching paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code. The one constant in his life becomes his long-time cellmate, Viktor, a convicted murderer.

“Quo vadis Aida?” by Bosnian director Jasmila Žbanić, produced by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Netherlands, France, Poland, Norway, Germany, Romania, and Turkey. Aida is a translator for the peacekeeping forces in the summer of 1995, in Srebrenica. Her family is among the thousands of civilians seeking shelter in the UN camp. Aida learns that a terrible fate awaits her family and people, but can she do anything to stop it?

Next steps

The three nominated films will now be subtitled in the 24 official EU languages and screenings across EU cinemas will be promoted and supported.

EU citizens will be able to vote on these films starting from 12 December. The winner will be selected jointly by the members of the European Parliament and the public, each making up 50% of the vote.

Voting will conclude on 25 May 2022, with the winning film announced on 8 June 2022 in the European Parliament plenary sitting in Strasbourg.

Background

Since 2020, the LUX – European Audience Film Award has been awarded by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, in partnership with the European Commission and the Europa Cinemas network.

The European Parliament established the LUX Film Prize in 2007 to help distribute European films with high artistic quality that reflect cultural diversity in Europe and beyond, and that touch upon topics of common concern, such as human dignity, equality, non-discrimination, inclusion, tolerance, justice and solidarity.

Read more about the film selection process.

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

This article is published in association with United Nations.

‘Where do we go?’: How Israel’s ‘yellow line’ is closing in on Palestinians

September 14, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Ola Ishtiwi sits with her children in front of the remains of her home in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City, a few metres away from a series of painted cement blocks Israel has placed to mark what has become known as the “yellow line”. Initially set up following the announcement of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire […]

© UNDP/Oleksandr Ratushniak A substation in Ukraine damaged during ongoing strikes in the war with Russia.

Ukraine: Drone attacks on Chornobyl are ‘gambling with the safety of millions of people’

September 11, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. A drone strike on the protective structure at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant could have endangered the safety of millions of people, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Alexander De Croo told reporters via video link from Kyiv on Thursday. He is visiting Ukraine, with his mission focused […]

© UNHCR/Dar Al Mussawir Smoke rises above residential neighborhoods in Tyre, southern Lebanon, following an Israeli airstrike. (file)

UN chief demands Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon amid Nabatieh escalation

September 10, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The Secretary-General has condemned mounting civilian casualties in southern Lebanon and called on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanese territory, as fighting intensifies in and around Nabatieh. Key points In a statement issued by his Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, the Secretary-General said he was “deeply concerned” by […]

UN chief demands Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon amid Nabatieh escalation

September 9, 2026

© UNOCHA/Viktoriia Andriievska The aftermath of a drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine (file). UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk (file) said on Monday that he was "horrified" by the thought of fully autonomous weapons being used in battle.

AI: Türk urges action before it becomes an ‘existential risk to humanity’

September 8, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN human rights chief Volker Türk added his voice on Monday to growing calls for greater AI controls, warning that the revolutionary technology could become an “existential risk to humanity” if left unchecked. Without binding rules, independent oversight and clear limits, the technology could become impossible to […]

As wildfires spread north, UN agencies race to help Europe adapt

September 7, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. As the climate warms, the threat of wildfires is spreading in Europe. How can historically cooler and wetter countries prepare? Human activity causes most of the wildfires breaking out across Europe, but their spread, speed and intensity are strongly affected by the warmer, drier conditions associated with […]

© UNICEF-SoP/Crickx People walk down a dusty road in the West Bank carrying belongings.

West Bank: UN rights report warns of forcible displacement from three refugee camps

September 5, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Israeli security forces forcibly displaced the entire population of three Palestine refugee camps in the occupied West Bank in January and February last year – and continue to prevent their return, in violation of international law, according to a new report by the UN human rights office, OHCHR. […]

©UNIFIL/Tilak Pokharel UNIFIL personnel distribute food kits to displaced families in Saida, Lebanon.

Lebanon–Israel tensions escalate as Gaza sees major aid delivery

September 4, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Peacekeepers in Lebanon have reported a marked deterioration in the security situation along the Blue Line of separation, with Israeli forces intensifying their military footprint in violation of a landmark Security Council resolution, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Thursday. Meanwhile, in Gaza, humanitarian teams collected hundreds […]

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

World News in Brief: US-Iran war intensifies, aid for Myanmar, casualties in Ukraine

September 3, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Fighting between the United States and Iran has sharply escalated after a month-long lull, with the two sides exchanging strikes as fears grow over further civilian casualties. The US military struck rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, days after US […]

© WFP/Hugh Rutherford A family eat lunch in the Bedouin community of Umm Al Khair, West Bank.

Food aid cutback in the occupied West Bank as health fears grow in Gaza

September 2, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Lack of funding has forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to slash aid to families in the West Bank by half even though needs have more than doubled over the past two years. “We’re running out of funding, and that means that from today, some 200,000 people […]

© UNICEF/Laxmi Prasad Ngakhusi Mud covers Nuwakot district in central-northern Nepal following devastating flash floods.

Nepal flooding deaths surpass 900 as needs climb

September 1, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The confirmed death toll from Nepal’s catastrophic floods has surged to 903, with more than 4,200 still missing as rescue crews and humanitarian workers battle blocked highways to reach the hardest-hit areas, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Monday. Key points Triggered by a glacier collapse and […]

© WFP/Mohamad Al Hinnawi Brothers sitting outside their family’s tent in Gaza.

Four children killed as separate attacks in Gaza destroy aid supplies

August 31, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Israeli attacks killed four children and destroyed humanitarian aid supplies in what turned out to be a deadly week in war-ravaged Gaza, the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA, said on Friday. Key points According to UNICEF, the four children – aged two to 16 – were reportedly […]

© UNICEF Buildings are submerged in mud following flash floods in Rasuwa district in central-northern Nepal.

Deadly floods cause widespread destruction in China, Nepal

August 27, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Severe flooding in China and Nepal caused widespread destruction and mounting death tolls, UN agencies reported on Wednesday as aid efforts deployed to help provide emergency assistance. UN agencies and humanitarian partners are already providing support to local authorities, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. “The Secretary-General is […]

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

As wars spread, the global food system unravels

August 26, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. A family with four children abandoned its farm in Somalia after armed groups arrived and demanded payments for the right to continue cultivating the land. They walked roughly 100 kilometers to a displacement camp. One of the children died along the way. Carl Skau, the acting head […]

Gaza: Children still at risk despite drop in acute hunger

August 25, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Among tent cities pitched on the rubble of destroyed homes in Gaza, children are, by one measure, finally getting enough to eat. By another, however, many of them may never fully recover, according to a new study by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released on Monday. Key points Hunger […]

UN Photo/Elma Okic Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Doreen Bogdan-Martin speaks at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva. (file)

AI for Good: How the UN uses AI to advance human rights

August 24, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. For Ari, a six-year-old boy with learning difficulties in Jamaica, artificial intelligence (AI) opened the door to something many children take for granted: reading a book in his own language. Thousands of miles away, gold miners in Ethiopia are being screened more quickly for tuberculosis, while communities around […]

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Imane El Maimouni, a 22-year-old fifth-year Moroccan medical student at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Casablanca. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Who heals the healers?

August 22, 2026

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Levina Kulembeka, a Medical Doctor from Tanzania passionate about global health. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on […]

Middle East: 94 per cent need shelter in Gaza, Israel ramps up demolitions in Lebanon

August 21, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Ninety-four cent of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents need shelter as Israeli gunfire and strikes continue inside the enclave, UN agencies and peacekeepers warned on Thursday. Key points More than four out of five families currently face critical or catastrophic living conditions, which lack fuel, energy and essential […]

© IOM/Lisa George Flooding in Sudan has displaced 20,000 people since June (file).

Sudan war: 200,000 newly displaced as fighting and floods intensify

August 20, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Intensifying fighting in Sudan has displaced at least another 200,000 people since late 2025, while destructive seasonal floods are compounding the massive humanitarian emergency there, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday. In an alert, the agency also warned that relief access has been […]