AYA DOMENIG
Film Director
Aya Domenig was born in Japan in 1972 and grew up in Switzerland. From 1992 until 2000 she studied social anthropology, film studies and japanology at the University of Zurich, gaining an MA degree with her documentary film «Oyakata». From 2001 to 2005 Aya Domenig studied film directing at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Her graduation film «Haru Ichiban» (fiction, 22 min.) was screened at various international film festivals and was awarded the Prix Cinécinéma at the Premiers Plans Film Festival in Angers.
In 2015 her feature length documentary «The Day the Sun Fell» premiered at the 68th edition of the Locarno International Filmfestival (Critics Week). The film was nominated for the Swiss Film Prize 2016 in two categories («Best Documentary» Film» and «Best Film Score») and was awarded the Swiss Film Prize for «Best Film Score».
Aya Domenig is a member of the Swiss Film Academy and of the European Film Academy.
Filmography (Selection)
ALS DIE SONNE VOM HIMMEL FIEL
(The Day the Sun Fell)
Documentary, 78 min., DCP
Awards, Nominations and Special Mentions:
- Nomination Swiss Film Prize 2016 for „Best Documentary Film“ and „Best Film Score“
- Winner Swiss Film Prize 2016 for „Best Film Score“
- Winner Green Image Award 2016, Green Image Film Festival (Tokyo)
- Special Mention, Filmkunstfest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Winner Prix Mario Ruspoli 2016, Jean Rouch Int. Film Festival (Paris)
- Winner Prix Anthropologie et Development Durable 2016, Jean Rouch Int. Film Festival (Paris)
- Winner Horizonte Filmpreis 2016, Fünf Seen Fimfestival
- Special Mention, Bolzano Filmfestival 2016
- Winner Fethi Kayaalp Grand Prize – 2nd Prize 2016, Bozcaada International Festival of Ecological Documentary
Festivals:
- 68. International Film Festival Locarno (Semaine de la Critique)
- Hiroshima International Film Festival 2015
- This Human World 2015
- Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis Saarbrücken 2016 (documentary competition)
- Solothurner Filmtage 2016
- Mumbai International Film Festival 2016 (int. competition)
- DOCfeed Eindhoven 2016
- Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2016
- Green Image Film Festival (Tokyo) 2016
- Bolzano Filmfestival 2016
- 26. Filmkunstfest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (documentary competition)
- 13th Göttingen int. Ethnographic Film Festival 2016
- International Film Festival Innsbruck 2016 (documentary competition)
- EDOC – Encuentros del Otro Cine, Ecuador 2016
- Seoul Human Rights Film Festival 2016
- Bonner Dokumentarfilmwoche 2017
- Fünf Seen Filmfestival 2016 (competition)
- BIFED 2016
- 35th Jean Rouch International Film Festival 2016
- Incheon Human Rights Film Festival 2016
- Salem Film Fest 2017
- Cairo International Womens Film Festival 2017
- 15th RAI Film Festival 2017 (Bristol)
- 9. Festival de cine invisible 2017
- Akamas Eco Film Festival 2017 (Cyprus)
- NAFA Film Festival 2017 (Denmark)
- NO NUKE Film Festival 2017 (Taiwan)
- 7th Ecofalante Environmental Film Festival 2018 (Sao Paolo)
2007
BESTATTUNGSKULTUR IM WANDEL
TV-Documentary, 30 min., DV
Produced by: Go Between Films GmbH, Luc Schaedler
Executive Producer & Co-Regie: Aya Domenig
2005
HARU ICHIBAN (Spring Storm)
Fiction short, 22 min., 35mm
Produced by: ZHdK
Award:
- Prix Cinécinéma, Premier Plans, Festival d’Angers
Festivals:
- Locarno International Film Festival, Pardi di domani
- Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur
- Solothurner Filmtage
- Stuttgarter Filmwinter
- FIPA Biarritz
- Premier Plans, Festival d’Angers
- International Shortfilm Festival Clermont-Ferrand
- Potsdam-Babelsberg, Worldwide Student Film Festival
- Festival du Film Court de Lille
- Poitiers International Film Schools Festival
- Mediawave
2004
HITORITABI (Iio-sans Journey)
Documentary, 21 min., DV
Produced by: ZHdK
2004
WIR
Fiction short, 2 Min. 20 Sek., DV
Produced by: ZHdK
2002
JE T’AIME
Fiction short, 6 min., DV
Produced by: ZHdK
Award:
- Goldener Drache für einen bemerkenswerten Spielfilm, Swiss Film- and Video Festival Spiez
Festivals:
- Swiss Film- and Video Festival Spiez
- Festival der Nationen, Ebensee
2001
MAKING OF – BIG DEAL
TV-Documentary, 15 min., DV
Produced by: C-Films
1999
OYAKATA (The Master)
Documentary, 37 min., DV
Produced by: Aya Domenig
Award:
- JVC Student Video Prize, 7th International Festival of Ethnografic Film, London
Festivals:
- Göttingen int. Ethnographic Film Festival, IWF Göttingen
- 7th International Festival of Ethnografic Film, London
- 36. Solothurner Filmtage
- University of Texas, Festival of Ethnografic Film