Special Prize < The UNICEF Prize >

Endearing eight-year-old, Pia, is a Vietnamese girl who has her hands full with her two naughty younger brothers whom she is expected to look after. She and her loving family live under tough conditions in a remote mountain community of Lao Cai province. Pia is happy that her mother is pregnant again because she desperately wants to have a younger sister to take care of, talk to and play with. But to her disappointment, her mother gives birth to yet another boy. Over time, we see how she grows to love her baby brother. Movingly told from Pia’s point of view, we gain a deep understanding of the impact of culture and tradition on young girls in these parts of the world. The jury was unanimous that this piece of work, Sister, beautifully encapsulates the spirit of the UNICEF Prize; that of promoting understanding of the lives of children in difficult situations.