Georgian filmmaker Mariam Chachia triumphs at top German festival

Georgian filmmaker Mariam Chachia has won a prestigious Golden Dove award at Germany's largest international documentary and animated film festival.

Chachia’s work Listen to the Silence was named the winner of the Next Masters Competition section at the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, also known as DOK Leipzig.

The prize endowed by the Media Foundation of the Sparkasse Leipzig served as seed capital for Chachia's next film project.

The festival also served as the venue for the film’s world premiere.

In the Next Masters Competition section, Chachia’s film was one of 11 documentary works from 13 countries.

Her film tells the story of a deaf boy who finds an opportunity for expression via dance at a boarding school.

German film festival organisers said Chachia "chose a stunningly simple form for her tale of this unlikely place".

See the trailer for the documentary 'Listen to the Silence' below:

Chachia graduated from Tbilisi-based Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film of Georgian State University and in her career has worked as director and scriptwriter on several documentary projects.

She is currently working on her next documentary work Abastumani.

Founded in 1955, DOK Leipzig is regarded as the oldest documentary festival in the world. This year's DOK Leipzig festival ran from October 31 to November 6 in the eastern German city of Leipzig.