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The 2009 Maysles Brothers Documentary Award went to Roberto Hernandez' PRESUMED GUILTY.
Statement from the Jury:
"In Belfast, we saw many excellent films, gripping and well-crafted.
Yet, PRESUMED GUILTY stood out, with all the right ingredients a
documentary could possibly have.
With astonishing access to a prison in Mexico, we get to follow Tono,
a young man who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a murder
he most likely did not commit. There are unbelievably revealing moments with the judge, the prosecutor, and police officers, which make us question
their concepts of justice. The documentary takes us on an emotional rollercoaster. Very well shot and edited, the film literally had us on the edge of
our seats.
This documentary competition honours direct cinema in the tradition of
the Maysles brothers. Almost 90 minutes into this film, it suddenly switches from verité to intervention, and unusually for documentary it seemed rightfully so. The filmmakers were forced into being involved and start a final rescue attempt, using their very own powers of observation. Never have we been
more thankful to a documentary maker for interfering with his subject.
PRESUMED GUILTY saved more than 17 years of a young man's life."
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