16/03/2026 Prizes
The former President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Rousopoulos, presented the sixth ‘Human Rights in Motion’ Award at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. The international jury selected Birds of War, a documentary by the Lebanese journalist Janay Boulos and the cameraman and Syrian activist Abd Alkader Habak, as this year’s latest winner.
Set against the devastation of war, the film offers a sensitive and dignified portrait of human connection, following an intense and deeply human emotional journey. Praising its “emotional honesty”, the jury highlighted the film’s ability to portray reality without sentimentality, while conveying a quiet yet powerful sense of hope.
The Human Rights in Motion Award was established in 2024 at the initiative of the PACE President. It honours the director of the documentary that best promotes human rights and the defence of democratic values. It is awarded to the films submitted to four international documentary film festivals annually by a jury selected by the festival.
The winner receives a €5,000 prize and a commemorative plaque.
