On Saturday, January 16, a solemn presentation of the 69th Berlin International Film Festival was held.

“Golden Bear” for the best full-length film was received by Israeli director Nadava Lapida - he presented the autobiographical drama “Synonyms” (Synonymes) in the German capital. According to the director, personal experience pushed him to create a picture of the life of a young Israeli in Paris. Dedicated to the "Synonyms" of the mother of Lapida, who died in the days when he shot the tape.

A similar award for a short meter went to Florian Fisher's Umbra.

British theater and film actress Charlotte Rampling received the honorary Golden Bear for her achievements in cinema.

Silver bears

The Grand Prix of the jury (Silver Bear) was picked up by the drama of Francois Ozon by God's Grace (Grâce à dieu), another obvious favorite of the festival. The film tells about the men over whom a priest committed sexual violence as a child. In adulthood, the heroes create an association of victims of the actions of the priest.

"Silver Bear" as the best director was awarded the German Angela Shanelek for the film "I was at home, but" ( Ich war zuhause, aber ).

The best actress is China's Yoon Mei, who played the main role in Wang Xiaoshuai's film “See you, my son” (Di jiu tian chang). Wang Jinchun, who became Mei's partner on the set, also received the Silver Bear as the best actor.

The authors of the best script are Claudio Giovannezi, Roberto Saviano, Maurizio Braucci, who worked on the drama Claudio Giovannesi Piranha of Naples (La paranza dei bambini), telling about the life of representatives of the Italian criminal world.

Another Silver Bear, this time for an outstanding artistic contribution, went to the cameraman of the film Hans Petter Mulland, Out Stealing Horses, Dane Rasmus Wiedebak.

The prize named after Alfred Bauer for the “discovery of new paths in the cinema” was awarded to the director of the German film “Systemsbreakers” (Systemsprenger) Nora Finscheldt.

Other prizes

The prize of the ecumenical jury (independent film award) for the best film of the competition program was received by the drama “God exists, her name is Petrunia” (God exists, her name is Petrunija) by Macedonian director Teona Strugar Mitevski.

The debut short film “Buoyancy” by American Rodd Ratgen was recognized as the best film of the Panorama program. It is noteworthy that during the work on this picture Ratzhen made not only as a director, but also as a screenwriter, actor, producer and even an editor.

The best film of the Forum was “Earth” (Erde) of Nikolaus Geirhalter, a native of Vienna.

Since 1978, the festival has held a competition for children and teenagers Generation. The winners of the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus nominations become owners of Crystal Bears. This year, the statuettes went to the Canadian Genevieve Djulyud-Desel (“Colony”) and the Finke Selme Vilhunen (“Stupid Young Heart”).

  • Reuters
  • © Hannibal Hanschke

The Berlin International Film Festival was established in West Berlin in 1951. Since 1978, it is held every February. At the Berlinale, you can see films in seven sections: competition, Panorama, Generation, Forum, Promising German Cinema, Short Meter and Retrospective.

Films of Soviet and Russian directors received the main award only twice: in 1977, “The Bear” went to Larisa Shepitko for the drama about the Belarusian partisans “Ascension”, in 1987 the prize was awarded to Gleb Panfilov for the film “Theme”.

The 69th Berlin Film Festival was held in the German capital from February 7, 2019. In the main competitive program 16 cinematographers from 25 countries competed. The president of the international jury of the Berlin film review was the French actress Oscar winner Juliette Binoche.

Russia at the last Berlinale was represented by Alexander Gorchilin's debut film “Acid” (the “Panorama” program) and Alexander Zolotukhin’s tape “The Russian Boy” (the “Forum” section).

A year earlier, several Russian films hit the programs of the Berlinale. The biopic of Alexey German Jr. "Dovlatov" took part in the main competition. The art director of the tape Elena Okopnoy was awarded the Silver Bear for outstanding achievements in cinema.

Also, "Dovlatov" awarded the prize Berliner Morgenpost. The winner was chosen by voting among the readers of the newspaper. Timur Bekmambetov received the audience award - his picture “Profile” participated in the program “Forum”.