Pierre Le Gall’s Passionate Love Story ‘Flesh and Fuel’ Named Best Film at Zurich Film Festival
Pierre Le Gall’s debut feature, *Flesh and Fuel*, won the Golden Eye for best narrative film at the 22nd Zurich Film Festival. The award recognises emerging directors, and the jury praised the film’s exploration of human connection and the emotional boundaries people build around themselves.
The film follows Étienne, a lonely French long-distance lorry driver, whose encounter with Polish driver Bartosz develops into a cross-border romance; Alexis Manenti stars. Pete Muller’s *Bucks Harbor*, about life and fragile masculinity in a Maine fishing village facing climate change and loss of livelihood, won best documentary. Special mentions went to *The Guest*, *A Girl Unknown*, *One in a Million* and *My Home of Wind and Sand*; *Mila/Marija* won the Audience Award, *Ebjä! Adolf Wölfli* the Critics Jury Award, and *We Are Stardust* the Science Award.
- *Flesh and Fuel* won Zurich’s top narrative film prize.
- *Bucks Harbor* took the documentary Golden Eye.
- The festival also recognised films with audience, critics and science awards.
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The Zurich Film Festival is an annual film event in Switzerland that presents new work from established and emerging filmmakers. Its Golden Eye awards recognise films in several categories, including narrative features and documentaries.
Pierre Le Gall’s debut feature centres on Étienne, a French lorry driver, and Bartosz, a Polish driver. Their relationship connects two people whose work takes them across borders, while the film explores loneliness, human connection and the boundaries people create around themselves.
The award matters as recognition for a first feature by an emerging director. The festival also gives awards chosen by audiences and specialist juries, reflecting different ways films can be recognised.