By Sebastian Bauer
Even on the sixth attempt, the German director Christian Petzold just didn’t make it for the Golden Bear.
At the award ceremony of the 73rd Berlinale, his masterpiece “Red Sky” had to be content with the grand jury prize, i.e. second place. But Petzold was happy anyway. So much so that “I forgot my English,” said the director to Hollywood actress Kristen Stewart (32) and the international jury.
Director Christian Petzold with the Silver Bear Photo: AFP
This selected the French documentary “Sur l’Adamant” about a clinic for people with mental health problems as the winner. “Are you crazy? That’s too much,” says the touched director Nicolas Philibert (72).
With the script prize for Angela Schanelec (“Music”), a second prize goes to the Berlin School after Petzold. The Actor Awards went to Austrian transwoman Thea Honor (supporting role, “Bis ans Ende der Nacht”) and Spain’s nine-year-old Sofia Otero (leading role, “20,000 Especies De Abejas”) for their strong performance as a child seen as a boy, herself but not comfortable with it.
Touching moment: nine-year-old Sofía Otero received the Silver Bear for Best Leading Role in the film 20,000 Especies De Abejas Photo: Reuters
Little Sofía, who stood in front of a camera for the first time for the film, thanked her family with tears in her eyes: “I have the best father in the world. I love my mother so much!” The silver bear statue was obviously not easy for the elementary school student to hold over the long term.
The Director’s Prize for Philippe Garrel (“Le Grand Chariot”) and the Jury Prize for the Portuguese generational drama “Mal Viver” also honor films that the BZ and many international critics consider to be among the worst films in the competition. On the other hand, popular successes such as the Korean romantic drama “Past Lives” and the anime hit “Suzume” were passed over.
Jury President Kristen Stewart came to the award ceremony in a breezy outfit Photo: Reuters
This year’s oversized star factor at the Berlinale (Steven Spielberg, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, etc.) was therefore limited to the ranks outside the competition. A warm-hearted, but cinematically not beyond television quality documentary as a gold bear winner and other dubious decisions (“Mal Viver” “Le Grand Chariot”) owe the cinema magnet factor. Apart from “Red Sky” and “20,000 Especies De Abejas” it will be difficult for the award winners to become major box office hits.
The winners of the 73rd Berlinale at a glance
► Golden Bear for Best Film: “Sur l’Adamant” by Nicolas Philibert
► Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: “Red Sky” by Christian Petzold
► Silver Bear Jury Prize: “Mal Viver” by João Canijo
► Silver Bear for Best Director: Philippe Garrel for “Le grand chariot”
► Silver Bear for Best Performance in a Leading Role: Sofía Otero in “20 000 especies de abejas”
► Silver Bear for Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Thea Ehre in “Until the End of the Night”
► Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Angela Schanelec for “Music”
► Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Achievement: Cinematographer Hélène Louvart for “Disco Boy”