“THE TOWN THAT DROVE AWAY” WINS THE GRAND PRIZE AT A FESTIVAL IN PORTUGAL
The documentary „The Town That Drove Away”, directed by Grzegorz Piekarski and Natalia Pietsch, has won the Award for Best Film in the International Competition at CineEco – International Environmental Film Festival of Serra da Estrela, one of Europe’s most prestigious festivals dedicated to environmental issues.
Held at the foot of mainland Portugal’s highest peak, Serra da Estrela, the festival serves as a platform for reflection and dialogue on ecology and sustainable development, bringing together filmmakers, researchers, and audiences. The acclaimed film “The Town That Drove Away” was among ten titles featured in the international feature film competition.
The 31st edition of CineEco, which took place from October 10 to 18, 2025, in the Portuguese town of Seia, showcased 81 films from 31 countries – including feature-length, medium-length, and short productions – addressing contemporary challenges related to climate, the environment, and the social consequences of modern progress.
About the film
Hasankeyf, a town in Kurdistan with a millennia-old history, disappears beneath the water, swallowed by a massive and prestigious dam project. Promises of modern life strip the people of their identity and old homes, replacing them with new concrete buildings. The citizens find themselves entangled in a political game where survival depends on obedience to new rules: unmarried people lose the right to housing, and shepherds are forced to give up their animals. Each new restriction reminds them that their lives will never truly belong to them — they are merely pawns in a system that demands obedience and submission. Everything they once knew has been taken from them forever, leaving behind only family pride and a fragile remnant of dignity.
More information about the festival and the awarded films can be found here.