Riots documentary picks up award for reel vision

A GRITTY documentary about last year’s riots in Britain and a film exploring the alienation of China’s youth were honoured at last weekend’s Edinburgh Film Festival.

One Mile Away, directed by Penny Woolcock, which focused on the riots that swept parts of England, received the Michael Powell Award for the top British film. The top international award went to the low-key, enigmatic Chinese film Here, Then, directed by Mao Mao, which deals with loss of direction and alienation among contemporary Chinese youth. The weekend ceremony marked the return of awards to the festival, after they were scrapped last year.