The International Jury of the 69th Berlinale, chaired by French actress Juliette Binoche, awarded the coveted bear trophies in Berlin on Saturday night. The Golden Bear surprisingly won the drama "Synonyms" by Israeli director Nadav Lapid.
"Synonyms" is about young Yoav (Tom Mercier) from Tel Aviv, who wants to leave his past behind. He's moving to Paris and is learning French so French because he does not want to speak Hebrew anymore. The story is based on Nadav Lapid's own biography.
Lapid was born in 1975 in Tel Aviv, moved to Paris after his military service and back again. "I think these are questions that people around the world are addressing: how far we can break our identity and develop a new one," Lapid said of his film. The French-Israeli-German co-production was not necessarily a favorite among critics.
German candidates were also successful at the 69th International Film Festival. So the Silver Bear went to Angela Schanelec for best director. The 57-year-old tells in "I was at home, but" about how a mother deals with the death of her partner. It is also a film about the art itself.
The Berlinale is one of the most important film festivals in the world alongside Cannes and Venice. It's the first time a director from Israel wins the Golden Bear.
The drama "Systemsprenger" by German director Nora Fingscheidt received the Alfred Bauer Prize. This honors a feature film that "opens up new perspectives". The film is about a violent girl who is pushed from one place to another and pushes the juvenile welfare system to its limits.