Gessica Généus wins Best Film at Villa Médicis Film Festival

Haitian filmmaker Gessica Généus has won the Best Film award at the 6th Villa Médicis Film Festival in Rome. Her second feature film, ‘Marie Madeleine’, was recognized by the jury for its exploration of faith, morality, and the desire for freedom, as well as the ‘extraordinary humanity’ of its cinema.

Set in Jacmel, Haiti, the film follows the relationship between a woman working in a brothel and Joseph, the son of a strict evangelical preacher. The story examines the tensions between religious austerity and the lived realities of poverty and desire. The award includes a 5,000 euro prize and a residency at the Villa Médicis.

This win follows a successful international run for the film, which previously appeared in the Cannes Première section at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Grand Prix du Jury at the Cabourg Film Festival.