Michal Marczak's documentary 'Closure' has won the Golden Alexander, the top honor at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival in Greece. The film, which premiered at Sundance, follows a father named Daniel searching for his missing teenage son Chris, last seen on a bridge over the Vistula River in Warsaw.
The award comes with a €12,000 cash prize and automatically qualifies the documentary for Oscar consideration in 2026. Marczak expressed deep emotion after winning, noting that the festival's forum helped shape the project. 'Closure' will open the Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival in Poland.
The film raises the question of whether Chris took his own life, as his father spends months searching the river for his son's body. Marczak shared a poignant message from a viewer who said the film convinced them never to commit suicide.
Meanwhile, 'Birds of War' won four prizes, including the Silver Alexander in International Competition and the FIPRESCI critics prize. Directed by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak, the film uses footage shot by Habak during Syria's civil war. Habak expressed hope that Syria will avoid being drawn into the current Middle East conflict.
