Director Nicholas Philibert received the Golden Bear for Best Documentary
Photo: REUTERS
The main prize of the Berlin Film Festival “Golden Bear” went to the French documentary “Adamant”. This is a unique psychiatric hospital built in Paris in 2019. It sits right on the Seine River and is connected to the bank by a bridge. The film was directed by 72-year-old Nicolas Philibert, a classic of modern documentary cinema.
The second highest award, the Grand Jury Prize, went to the German film “Red Sky” (in English it is called “In Flames”), shot by Christian Petzold. This is a story about young people who decide to spend the summer in a country house on the shores of the Baltic Sea and start a complicated relationship. Meanwhile, a fire breaks out in the surrounding forests, the sky turns red from the flames, ashes fly from it like snow…
The third most important Jury Prize was awarded to the Portuguese Joao Kanizhu for the film “Vivir mal”, a story about unfortunate women from the same family who run an old hotel and do not live in harmony. One of them, for example, has severe bipolar disorder; her daughter comes to visit her and the conflicts increase…
The best director was the French veteran Philippe Garrel, who directed The Big Dipper Bucket (Le grand chariot, or, in English, The Plow: what the Russians see in the sky as a bucket, the French see as a great car, and the British as a plow). We are talking about a dynasty of puppeteers, and Garrel’s children, Louis, Esther and Lena, starred in the film.
The award for best screenplay went to the German avant-garde artist Angela Schanelek, who made the film “Music”, which not all film critics could crack. The legend of Oedipus Rex in the writer-director’s version is presented as confusing as possible, full of images and metaphors, which can be interpreted in any way.
The award for best performer/leading actress (recently in Berlin they gave an award, without dividing the candidates by gender into best actors and best actresses) was received by a very young Sofía Otero, who played 20,000 species in the Spanish drama. of bees”. Germany’s Thea Ehre (“Until the End of the Night”) was named Best Performer/Performer in a Supporting Role. Finally, a separate award “for artistic contribution” was given to cinematographer Helen Luvar, who shot the film “Disco Fight.”
The Berlin Film Festival was held for the 73rd time this year, with American actress Kristen Stewart as president of the jury. The only Russian film that was shown in the film review was called “The cage is looking for a bird”, it was included in the Encounters (“Meetings”) program. It was staged by Alexander Sokurov’s student Malika Musaeva. He didn’t get any awards.
