The Sixth Child
Jury Statement
Signis is an international lay Catholic media organization which seats juries in some forty international film festivals worldwide – including Cannes, Venice, and Berlin – celebrating films of exceptional artistic merit that also delve deep into the human spirit.
The Signis Award at Filmfest DC goes to the film judged by its jury to "best illuminate and celebrate what it means to be human in a diverse and challenging world."
The Filmfest DC Signis Prize goes to The Sixth Child.
Writer/director Leopold Legrand and his co-writer, Catherine Paille, deftly tell the story of two couples from opposite ends of the economic/cultural spectrum who share a desperation: on one side to have a child, on the other side to avoid having an unaffordable sixth baby. The resulting clash of legal realities and human yearning leads to excruciating decisions and a moving exploration of the meaning of love. It is a film that brilliantly illuminates the human condition in these difficult times, earning it the Filmfest DC Signis Prize 2023.