Berlinale – Winners of the 70th edition
Berlin International Film Festival took place between February 20 – March 1, 2020, and among the films present at the 70th edition were the new Romanian productions The Exit of the Trains (dir. Radu Jude), Uppercase Print (dir. Radu Jude, Adrian Cioflâncă), Malmkrog (dir. Cristi Puiu) and Služobníci (dir. Ivan Ostrochovský), a Slovakia, Romania, Czech Republic and Ireland co-production.
From pressing issues in the contemporary world, such as the analysis made by The Assistant (dir. Kitty Green) of the #metoo movement and the way abuse of power, intimidation, and humiliation perpetuates problems that have existed in society for far too long, to the revival of some classic stories, such as Pinocchio (dir. Matteo Garrone) (the film keeps true to the original story, more than its Disney version), which becomes a true meditation on human nature, the 70th edition of Berlinale has brought powerful films to the public, whose echo will not go unnoticed.
The Romanian films present at the festival are also a demonstration of diversity, including a period drama (Malmkrog – Cristi Puiu), a fictional reconstitution of an event in Romania’s recent history (Uppercase Print – Radu Jude), a documentary as to recount another event in the history of Romania, the Iași Pogrom (The Exit of the Trains – Radu Jude, Adrian Cioflâncă), and an essay about faith, friendship and fear (Služobníci – Ivan Ostrochovský).
The director Cristi Puiu left with the Best Director in the Encounters Competition prize for his film Malmkrog.
Artist and director Ulrike Ottinger was honored with the Berlinale Camera, and actress Helen Mirren has been awarded the honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement.
A novelty this year is that the festival has suspended the Alfred Bauer Silver Bear award after accusations of Nazi collaboration were made against its namesake, Alfred Bauer, who was the festival’s first director from 1951 to 1976. Instead, for the 70th anniversary of the festival, the Berlinale 2020 has awarded a special prize: The Silver Bear – 70th Berlinale.
Below is the full list of winners of the 70th edition of Berlin International Film Festival:
Golden Bear: There Is No Evil (dir. Mohammad Rasoulof)
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: Never Rarely Sometimes Always (dir. Eliza Hittman)
Silver Bear for Best Director: Hong Sang-soo, The Woman Who Ran
Silver Bear for Best Actress: Paula Beer, Undine
Silver Bear for Best Actor: Elio Germano, Hidden Away
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Favolacce (dir. Fabio D’Innocenzo, Damiano D’Innocenzo)
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: Jürgen Jürges (cinematography), DAU. Natasha
Silver Bear Special Prize: Delete History (dir. Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern)
Best Film in the Encounters Competition: The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin) (dir. C.W. Winter, Anders Edström)
Special Jury Award in the Encounters Competition: The Trouble With Being Born (dir. Sandra Wollner)
Best Director in the Encounters Competition: Cristi Puiu, Malmkrog
Special Mention by the Encounters Jury: Isabella (dir. Matías Piñeiro)
Berlinale Documentary Award: Irradiés (dir. Rithy Panh)
Special Mention by the Jury for the Berlinale Documentary Award: Notes From the Underworld (dir. Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel)
GWFF Best First Feature Award: Los conductos (dir. Camilo Restrepo)
GWFF Special Mention: Naked Animals (dir. Melanie Waelde)
Golden Bear for Best Short Film: T (dir. Keisha Rae Witherspoon)
Audi Short Film Award: Genius Loci (dir. Adrien Mérigeau)
Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film): Filipiñana (dir. Rafael Manuel)
Special Mention of the International Jury Generation Kplus: The Kites (dir. Seyed Payam Hosseini)
Special Prize of the International Jury in Generation Kplus for the Best Short Film: El nombre del hijo (dir. Martina Matzkin)
Grand Prix of the International Jury in Generation Kplus for the Best Film: Los Lobos (dir. Samuel Kishi Leopo)
Special Mentions of the International Jury Generation Kplus: Mignonnes (dir. Maïmouna Doucouré) and Mamá, mamá, mamá (dir. Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière)
Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary: Welcome to Chechnya (dir.
Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film: Otac (dir. Srdan Golubović)
Compass-Perspektive-Award: Walchensee Forever (dir. Janna Ji Wonders)
You can read the reviews of First Cow (dir. Kelly Reichardt), selected in the competition, and Malmkrog (dir. Cristi Puiu) in Films in Frame.
Writer, photographer and videographer. For Films in Frame she writes news about the latest happenings in the film world and brings to the readers' attention the productions that can be seen at the cinema. When she's not writing articles, she's photographing people in a small studio or searching for new cake recipes.