Jordanian Documentary ‘Concrete Land’ Wins Award at London Film Festival

Jordanian documentary “Concrete Land,” directed by Asmahan Bkerat, has won one of the four main awards at the 70th London Film Festival, in a surprising outcome that saw documentaries claim two of the top honours.

The film marks Bkerat’s directorial debut. Its recognition placed a first-time Jordanian filmmaker among the festival’s principal award winners.

The other documentary winner was “Imperium,” by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, which took the festival’s official competition prize.

Loznitsa’s film relies entirely on archival material about the former Soviet Union, without reconstructing the events it depicts. Its victory, alongside that of “Concrete Land,” gave documentary filmmaking a prominent place in this edition’s awards.