Berlin Film Festival winner Mati Diop wins the Golden Bear for Dahomey

DahomeyThe documentary by French-Senegalese director Mati Diop won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.

This multi-faceted fictional documentary explores the November 2021 return of the African Kingdom of Dahomey’s plundered royal treasures from Paris to the present-day Republic of Benin, and examines the complex response of those in Benin, whose culture developed over more than two years. More than a century without these masterpieces.

As she took the stage to accept her award, Diop made a direct political statement, saying: “I stand with Palestine!”

Academy Award-winning head of the jury 12 years a slave And Black Panther Actress Lupita Nyong’o announced the Golden Bear winner on the Berlinale’s Palace stage on Saturday night. Nyong’o is the first black and first African to chair the Berlinale jury.

Dahomey It is the second African film to win the top prize in Berlin, after Mark Durnford-May’s South African operatic drama. Amfiphumlo breathed (Yu Carmen Ikhailicha) in 2015. Art House streamer Mubi was picked up Dahomey to North America and most of the world in a deal announced Friday.

Dahomey It is also the second documentary in a row to receive the Golden Bear award in Berlin Ali Al-Mu’tasim From French director Nicolas Philibert last year.

Hong Sangsoo, a regular participant in the Berlinale awards ceremony – won back-to-back Silver Bears in 2020 (The woman who ran(2021)introduction(and 2022)Feature film) – made it a foursome on Saturday, winning the Grand Jury Silver Bear Award Traveler’s needs. This project marks his third collaboration with French star Isabelle Huppert in another country (2012) and Claire’s camera (2017). Finecut is sold out Traveler’s needs Internationally.

The Best Director award went to Dominican director Nelson Carlos de los Santos Arias for his film baby, an unrated mix of documentary and fiction about a hippopotamus brought to Colombia by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. (The film is narrated by a hippopotamus.) A parody of science fiction by Bruno Dumont EmpireSold by Memento International, it received a Silver Bear award from the jury.

MCU alumnus Sebastian Stan won the Silver Bear in Berlin for Best Leading Performance for his role in Aaron Shimberg’s twisty story set in New York. different manIn which he plays a man who undergoes radical plastic surgery and begins to question his identity.

“This is my first European film festival,” Stan said. “For a little boy from Romania, this is very meaningful to me, so thank you.” A24 produced different man It is launched in the United States.

Emily Watson won Best Supporting Actress for her role as a terrifying nun alongside Cillian Murphy in Tim Millants’ Irish drama. Little things like this. FilmNation is handling international sales for the film.

In reference to the political debate surrounding the war in Gaza, which dominated much of the discussion about cinema at this year’s Berlinale, the international jury awarded a special prize to documentary films. No other land“, a realistic look at the Israeli government’s attempts to expel Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, a rural village in the occupied West Bank, directed by a group of Israeli and Palestinian directors. No other land It was shown in the Panorama section of Sidebar in Berlin, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary. Two of the film’s directors took to the stage, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, and called on “the powerful people in this room” to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and to “stop Israel’s occupation” of the West Bank. At the very least, one director said, Germany should stop supplying weapons to Israel.

Juliana Rojas, winner of the Encounters Award for Best Director Cidade. CampoHe also used the Berlinale platform to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. As did Ben Russell, who won, along with co-director Guillaume Caillot, the Best Film award in the Interviews section for a film Direct action. “We are against genocide,” Russell said.

Two of my favorite films of the year, Matthias Glasner’s German melodrama Stirbin (death) And Devil’s bathroomAustrian horror film produced by Good night, mom Directors Veronica Franz and Severin Fiala won the Silver Bears and Glasner for Best Screenplay and The Devil’s Bath in the Outstanding Artistic Contribution category for cinematographer Martin Gschlacht. Match factory sells Stirbin Worldwide, with Playtime handle Devil’s bathroom.

This is the fifth and final Berlinale under the artistic direction of Carlo Chatrian, who will depart after this year, along with Berlinale managing director Mariette Riesenbeck, to be replaced by former London Film Festival director Tricia Tuttle in a dual role. .

Winners of the 74th Berlinale

Golden Bear for Best Picture

Dahomey monastery. Mati Diop

Silver Bear Grand Jury Award

Traveler’s needs monastery. Hong Sangsoo

Silver Bear Jury Award

Empire monastery. Bruno Dumont

Silver Bear for Best Director

Nelson Carlos de los Santos Arias baby

Silver Bear for Best Leadership Performance

Sebastian Stan L different man

Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance

Emily Watson L Little things like this

Silver Bear for Best Screenplay

Matthias Glasner Stirbin (death)

Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution

Martin Geschlacht for cinematography Devil’s bathroom

the best movie

Direct action monastery. Guillaume Caillaux, Ben Russell

Best director

Cidade; Campo monastery. Juliana Rojas

Special Jury Prize (ex aequo)

The great yawn of history monastery. Aliyar Rusty, Some rain should fall monastery. Qiu Yang

GWFF Award for Best First Film

Ku Li never cries monastery. Fam ngok lan

Berlinale Documentary Film Prize

No other land monastery. Yuval Abraham, Basil Adra, Hamdan Bilal, Rachel Szur

Berlinale Short Film Awards

Golden Bear Best Short Film

Strange turn monastery. Francisco Lezama

Silver Bear Jury Award

Leftovers from a hot day monastery. Zhang Wenqian

An earlier version of this story misidentified actress Emily Watson as Emma Watson.