The Nordic Talents Pitch Prize went to Hazhir Ibrahimi, from The Norwegian Film School, who pitched his documentary film project Carrying Luggage

Å BØRE EN BØR / CARRYING LUGGAGE

A 16-year-old working on the border between Iran and Iraq. In order to make more money and fulfil his dream, he has to start smuggling goods across the border.

The Nordic Talents Jury consisting of director Amanda Kernell (SE), writer and showrunner Sigurjón Kjartansson (IS), documentary filmmaker Eva Mulvad (DK), producer and owner/CEO of Aamu Film Company, Jussi Rantamäki (FI) and NRK executive producer/commissioning editor, Tone Rønning (NO) states:

"The main prize goes to a film, with a strong cinematic ambition. It will take us on a ride out of the privileged comfort zone, and give voice to those who no one listens to.

In the cold mountains on the border of Iraq, children have to grow up fast. Not many options are left for them. In this no man's land, the best option to make a living is a job as a smuggler, which might send you to prison or to your death on a steep mountainside – or maybe you will earn enough to go back to school. A slice of life that is invisible but relevant to us in the Nordic countries, as we are multicultural societies. The creator has a clear message to the world: It is not until you have a place in the media, that you have a place in society.

We are sure that the director Hazhir Ibrahimi with the film CARRYING LUGGAGE can bring us a heart wrecking and hopeful story from the snowy mountains, where he himself spent his childhood."