Dutch
writer's Necrocam wins Geneva Europe Grand Prize
2002
Geneva, 6 September 2002 -
The 2002 Geneva-Europe Grand Prize for TV Scenarios has been won by
Ine Poppe of the Netherlands for the script of a film in which a
cancer-sufferer decides to put a webcam in her coffin, the European
Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced today.
Necrocam, produced by the Dutch
broadcaster NOS/ VARA, was among nine entries submitted to a jury
of five TV fiction professionals meeting in Geneva this week. The
jury praised Necrocam for challenging societal taboos
while courageously exploring modern-day issues in the context of
friendship, generational conflict, mourning and loss.
Supported by the Geneva authorities and 10
European broadcasters, the Geneva-Europe Prize is awarded every
year to the best TV fiction written by a newcomer and produced by a
national broadcaster. It was established in 1987 under the auspices
of the EBU, whose Members include every national public service
broadcaster in Europe.
Poppe will receive CHF 10,000, while NOS/
VARA will receive four times that sum to be devoted to another
project by a newcomer.
A journalist, artist and lecturer, Poppe
has researched and directed documentaries for television and
written at length on new media. "I'm very happy, very proud and
this makes me want to write a lot more scenarios," she said on
learning of her victory.
Jan Rutger Achterberg, producer
of Necrocam, thanked the EBU and the jury of the
Geneva-Europe prize. "We at VARA are delighted that our continuous
efforts in bringing new talented writers to the screen have been
rewarded with this prize," he said.
The runner-up for the Grand Prize was a
love story by Max Grimeur entitled Death is a Russet
Lady, submitted by france 2, which the jury praised for the
craftsmanship of its plot, structure and dialogue.
The jury also awarded CHF 30,000 to ZDF
(Germany) for the further development of Going Home
by Damir Lukacevic and the same sum to france 2 for The
Road to Happiness by Lydie Ferran. Synopses of these projects
won writing bursaries for their authors in 2001.
Further information and
photos:
Lynne Polak
EBU Television Department
Tel: +41 (0)22 717 2411
polak@ebu.ch
Aline Bussat Ingwersen
EBU Communications Service
Tel: +41 (0)22 717 2038
ingwersen@ebu.ch
