Carla Simon’s “Alcarras” won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 72nd Berlinale on Wednesday. As confirmed by the jury, the statuette was awarded “for its ability to demonstrate tenderness, family comedy and combativeness.”
The winners of the main competition of the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival were announced during a ceremony at the Berlinale Palast.
Carla Simon’s “Alcarras” won the Golden Bear for Best Picture. It is a story that sets the tone for the changing seasons. Its protagonists are a multi-generational family from a small village in Catalonia, picking peaches in their orchards in the summer. One day it turned out that farmers were threatened with eviction. As the jury emphasized in the justification of the verdict, the main prize was awarded to “the extraordinary creations of the actors – from the youngest to over 80 years old, for the ability to show tenderness, family and combative comedy.”
Upon receiving the figurine, Simon admitted that she felt “the daughter of the Berlinale”. At this festival in 2017, she won the Best Debut Film Award for “Summer 1993”. “It really is my home of films. I should probably move here, because every time I come here, something wonderful happens. A big thank you to the festival, the jury and my team (…). I would also like to thank my family, who grow peaches in The Karas. Without them and without my belonging to this place, I would not be able to tell this story. I would like to dedicate the Golden Bear to small farms or families who cultivate the land every day so that its fruits can reach us, “- she said.
Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize went to Hong Sangsoo’s “Feature Film”, the story of a novelist who, due to a serendipitous encounter, decided to direct a film for the first time. “With its masterful simplicity, the film transcends the limits of imagination. It pushes time and space to the limits. Time becomes fate, space becomes universe” – concluded the jury.
Natalia Lopez Gallardo won the Silver Bear for jury award and was appreciated for “Robe Gems” about her return to her family’s home in the Mexican countryside.
Claire Dennis won Best Director for “Both Sides of the Blade,” the story of an old couple whose lives suddenly appear third. Lily Stiller was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay for “Spring Kornaz vs. George W. Bush”. This is about a mother struggling to free her son from Guantanamo Bay.
This year’s edition of the Berlinale is the second in which the gender categories of the acting awards have been eliminated. The Silver Bear for Best Leading Role went to Meltem Captan for his performance in “Spring Cornaz vs. George W. Bush”. The award for best supporting role went to Laura Basuka for her performance in “Nana”.
A statuette of outstanding artistic achievements was awarded to Rithy Panh for his essay “All will be well”. The film presents a dystopian vision of the world where animals enslave people and seize power. The award went to Michael Koch’s “A Piece of Sky” about the love that develops between a farmer working in a Swiss village and a local girl.
The winners of the main competition were chosen by a jury consisting of: Indian director, screenwriter and producer M. Said, Zimbabwean writer and screenwriter Tsetse Dangarimbaja, Japanese director and screenwriter Ryosuke Hamaguchi, and Danish actress Connie Nielsen.
The 72nd Berlinale continues through Sunday. There will be a restart from Thursday.
From Berlin Daria Borica (PAP)
Author: Daria Borica
dap / aszw/
“Extreme organizer. Problem solver. Passionate web buff. Internet expert. Devoted travel nerd. Professional troublemaker.”
