For the second year running, the Berlinale's Golden Bear has gone to Latin America with the International Jury led by Tilda Swinton selecting Peruvian filmmaker Claudia Llosa's second feature The Milk Of Sorrow for the top honours this year.
Sold internationally by The Match Factory and supported by the Berlinale's World Cinema Fund among others, Llosa's second feature after her well received Madeinusa centres on a timid 20-year-old girl facing big city life in the Peruvian capital Lima after her mother dies.
The evening's other big winner from Latin America was Argentinian-born director Adrian Biniez's humorous and highly imaginative feature debut Gigante which shared the Grand Jury Prize with German filmmaker Maren Ade's Everyone Else and the Alfred Bauer Prize with Polish old master Andrzej Wajda's Sweet Rush as well as picking up the Best First Feature Film Award. The Match Factory has already sold the Uruguayan-German-Argentine-Dutch co-production to Germany's Neue Visionen and Norway's Fidalgo.
While Hans-Christian Schmid's Storm did not get a look in at any of the official jury's prizes, the English language political thriller attracted three commendations from the independent juries: the Amnesty International Film Prize, the Prize of the Guild of German Arthouse Cinemas, and the Berliner Morgenpost Readers' Prize, which Schmid said was his first ever audience award.
Meanwhile, one of the festival favourites - Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's About Elly took home the Silver Bear for Best Direction.
Speaking about the International Jury's work at the awards ceremony in front of 1,600 guests in the Berlinale Palast, president Tilda Swinton congratulated festival director Dieter Kosslick on his choice of jury members, noting that there had been "lots of voices" in the jury, but their decisions had been unanimous including for the Golden Bear and the ex aequo - "vive la difference!" (Swinton) - for Grand Jury Prize to Gigante and Everyone Else.
In an official statement, the jury declared that "this year’s competition presents a broad range of films whose central aim consists in exploring ways to further the interpretation and understanding of important topics of our time. Therefore the jury has decided to award prizes to those efforts which achieve a balance between the political statement and the poetic form."
Giving a resume of the Berlinale's 2009 edition during the ceremony, Kosslick said that it had been "a Berlinale against the crisis. Here we have celebrated cinema, the great artists and their films." His biggest surprise this year - apart from the private joke that Berlin Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit was in the audience after being absent at the opening ceremony - was the success of the new screening venue in the Friedrichstadtpalast musical theatre.
The number of tickets sold rose year-on-year from last year's final total of 240,000 by 30,000 to 270,000 this year. This was largely thanks to the additional screening capacity of the 1,800 seats at the Friedrichstadtpalast for four daily repeat screenings of Competition titles and five special gala presentations from the Berlinale Special sidebar in the evenings.
Meanwhile, on the evening before the gala closing ceremony, the international critics federation FIPRESCI announced its three awards to Claudia Llosa's The Milk Of Sorrow (Competition), Rune Denstad Langlo's North (Panorama) and Sono Sion's Love Exposure (Forum).
Main Competition - International Jury prizes
Golden Bear: The Milk Of Sorrow directed by Claudia Llosa
Alfred Bauer Prize: Gigante by Adrian Biniez and Sweet Rush by Andrzej Wajda
Grand Jury Prize: Gigante by Adrian Biniez and Everyone Else by Maren Ade
Silver Bear, Best Direction: Asghar Farhardi About Elly
Silver Bear, Best Actress: Birgit Minchmayr Everyone Else
Silver Bear, Best Actor: Sotigui Kouyate London River
Silver Bear Best Screenplay: Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon The Messenger
Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution: sound designer Gabor Erdelyi and Tamás Székely Katalin Varga
Best First Feature Film Award: Gigante by Adrian Biniez
Special Mention: The Girl (Flickan) by Fredrik Edfeldt
Independent Juries
A jury is considered independent when its members are not selected by the Berlinale. A number of independent juries award prizes at the Berlinale. The high level of quality and diversity of the films are an invitation for critical examination and discerning judgment that opens up new directions. Accordingly the independent juries award their prizes along different criteria, in accordance to the special intention linked to each award.
The following prizes are awarded by independent juries during the Berlinale:
Prizes of the Ecumenical Jury
Since 1992, the international film organisations of the Protestant and Catholic Churches - INTERFILM and SIGNIS - have been represented by the Ecumenical Jury. It consists of six members and awards its main prize to a film entered in the Competition. It also awards two other prizes, both worth 2,500 Euros, one to a film from the Panorama and one to a film in the Forum. The prizes go to directors who have succeeded in portraying actions or human experiences that are in keeping with the Gospels, or in sensitising viewers to spiritual, human or social values. The jury members for the Berlinale 2009: Charles Martig (jury president), Jes Nysten, Jolyon P. Mitchell, Joachim Valentin, Waltraud Verlaguet and Guido Convents.
The prize for a film from the Competition goes to
Lille Soldat
by Annette K. Ohleson
The film portrays a young female soldier back home from a peacekeeping mission. She struggles to cope with this difficult experience. By showing how her father draws her back into his violent world, Little Soldier illuminates the issues of gender, father-daughter relations and trafficking. While not offering an easy resolution, the narrative depicts a move towards freedom. Visual reticence about her wartime experiences combine with excellent performances to enliven the film. The unstated memories of violence forged in a foreign war resonate with the hidden but very real violence in European societies.
Special Mention
London River
by Rachid Bouchareb
This film, directed by Algerian Rachid Bouchareb, brings together for the first time a Christian mother and a Muslim father who fear that they have lost their children in the 2005 London bombings. The story skilfully explores how prejudices can be overcome and mutual respect developed in the midst of tragedy.
Special Mention
My One And Only
by Richard Loncraine
Based on a true story, this road movie set in 1950s USA combines humour and existential questions intelligently. How do you find your way and what do you need to be happy? The ecumenical jury particularly appreciated the elegant lightness of touch which brings life and laughter in the midst of yearning and loss.
The prize for a film from the Panorama goes to
Welcome
by Philippe Lioret
This is a story about the search for love. Marion has left Simon and they are tumbling towards a divorce, while Bilal endeavours to be reunited with the love of his life Mina. Bilal has walked from Iraq only to be blocked by the police in Calais. He takes lessons from Simon in order to swim unaided across the channel. Simon's generosity towards Bilal highlights a new perspective. Through the engaging narrative, the film convincly shows that love between two persons needs to include concern for others.
The prize for a film from the Forum goes to
Treeless Mountain
by So Yong Kim
At the heart of this Korean film are two young children, abandoned by their Mother, and deposited with their alcoholic aunt. They are left to fend for themselves in a world that overlooks their vulnerability. By telling the tale from the children’s perspective Treeless Mountain skilfully illuminates the effects of parental absence, abdication of responsibility and economic marginalisation. This is well balanced by the understated depiction of the gentle care of an aged grandmother, firmly earthed in the natural world, who gives them a most precious commodity: her time.
Prizes of the FIPRESCI Juries
The juries of the Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique (FIPRESCI), the international film critics association, view films from the Competition programme and the Panorama and Forum sections. They award a prize for the best film in each of these sections. The three FIPRESCI juries at the Berlinale 2009 are as follows: Borislav Andjelic (jury president), Mihai Chirilov, Sergi Sanchez (Competition); Richard Cline, Nils Saeveras, Andreas Becker (Panorama); Margit Tönson, Gulnara Abikeyeva, Enrico Bosten (Forum)
Competition
La teta asustada (The Milk Of Sorrow)
Director: Claudia Llosa
Panorama
Nord (North)
Director: Rune Denstad Langlo
Forum
Ai no mukidashi (Love Exposure)
Director: Sono Sion
Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas
The jury of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas is composed of three members who run cinemas and are members of the Guild. The jury awards its prize to a film screened in the Competition. The jury members for the Berlinale 2009: Adrian Kutter, Hans-Werner Renneke, Edgar Langer.
The members of the jury award the Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas to
Storm
by Hans-Christian Schmid
C.I.C.A.E Prizes
The Confédération Internationale des Cinémas d’Art et d’Essai (C.I.C.A.E.), the International Confederation of Art House Cinemas, forms one jury for the Panorama and one for the Forum. Each jury awards one prize in its section. Jury members 2009: Jean-Pierre Gardelli, Sébastien Regniers, Remo Brauchi (Panorama); Jörg Jacob, Silvia Angrisani, György Kárpáti (Forum)
The juries award the following prizes:
Panorama
Ander
by Roberto Castón
Forum
Cea mai fericita fata din lume (The Happiest Girl in the World)
by Radu Jude
This charming and highly entertaining film relates the story of a typical Romanian family who travel from the country to the capital so that they can accept a prize. During the course of the trip, the economical and social upheaval that Romania is undergoing is revealed in a highly comic way. The film shows us a world where driving a car won’t get you further, drinking orange juice doesn’t quench your thirst and a sneaky cigarette is the only freedom remaining.
The great strength of the film lies in its capacity to entertain while remaining true to its high artistic ideals
"Label Europa Cinemas"
Launched for the first time in 2003 within the Cannes Film Festival, the Europa Cinemas Label has been created in order to help European films increase their distribution and raise their profile with audiences and media. The Label is since then awarded by a jury of 5 member exhibitors to a European film selected in the Directors' Fortnight section in Cannes and since 2004 in the Venice Days. Since 2005, Europa Cinemas has been cooperating with the Berlinale to award the Label in the Panorama section. The jury at the Berlinale 2009: Christin Berg, Krisztina Páldy, Robert Rider, Dagmar Wagenknecht.
The jury awards:
Nord (North)
Director: Rune Denstad Langlo
ex aequo
Welcome
Director: Philippe Lioret
Teddy Awards
The Teddy Awards go to films that have a gay and/or lesbian context. The nine members of this international jury - for the most part, organizers of gay and lesbian film festivals - view films screened in all sections of the Festival. Chosen from a list of films selected by the jury, a 3,000-Euro Teddy is awarded to a feature film, a short film and a documentary. The Teddy Jury at the Berlinale 2009: Stephen Kent Jusick, Justine Barda, Cosimo Santoro, Manny de Guerre, Mercedes Martín, Emina Trumic, Rudi Fürstberger, Kyle Stephan.
Feature film
Rabioso sol, rabioso cielo (Raging Sun, Raging Sky)
by Julián Hernández
Best Essay
Fig Trees
by John Greyson
Short film
A Horse Is Not A Metaphor
by Barbara Hammer
Dialogue en perspective
The prize Dialogue en perspective for an outstanding work screened in the Berlinale section Perspektive Deutsches Kino was initiated by the French channel TV5Monde in co-operation with Franco-German Youth Office (DFJW) and the Berlin International Film Festival. The prize aspires to make new German cinema more accessible to young French audiences. With this aim in mind, the winning film will also be presented at the Festival of German Film in Paris. The jury has eight members: it is headed by a president, a professional whose work represents the cinematographic dialogue between France and Germany, and further consists of four French and three German members, who are selected by the prize donators by means of a public call for application.In 2009, the jury will be headed by German director Matthias Luthardt (Pingpong).
The jury awards the Prize Dialogue en perspective to
Gitti
by Anna Deutsch
Special Mention
Polar
by Michael Koch
Actor's Award
Franziska Petri
in Für Miriam (For Miriam) by Lars-Gunnar Lotz
Jacob Matschenz
in Fliegen (Fly) by Piotr J. Lewandowski
Caligari Film Prize
A three-person jury awards the Caligari Film Prize to a film in the Forum. The prize is sponsored by the "German Federal Association of Communal Film Work" and “filmdienst” magazine. The winning film is honoured with 4,000 Euros, half of which is given to the director, the other half is meant to fund distribution. The 2009 jury: Rüdiger Suchsland, Veit Geldner, Timothy Simms.
The Caligari Film Prize 2009 goes to
Ai no mukidashi (Love Exposure)
by Sono Sion
NETPAC Prize
The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) is an alliance of festival organisers and film critics whose aim is to support Asian film. The jury awards a prize to an Asian film screened in the Forum. Jury members this year are Edwin, Latika Padgaonkar and Ulrich Köhler.
The members of the jury award the NETPAC Prize to
Ma dai fu de zhen suo (Doctor Ma’s Country Clinic)
by Cong Feng
ex aequo
Eoddeon gaien nal (The Day After)
by Lee Suk-Gyung
Peace Film Award
The jury is composed of 9 members and views films from every section. The 5,000-Euro prize is donated by the Peace Film Award Initiative in association with the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). The Peace Film Prize Jury can also award Special Mentions. The jury members for the Berlinale 2009: Mehdi Benhadj-Djilali, Harriet Eder, Christoph Heubner, Michael Schorr, Oliver Passek, Wilma Pradetto, Monica Puginier, Marianne Wündrich-Brosien and Christian Ziewer.
The Peace Film Award 2009 goes to
The Messenger
by Oren Moverman
Soldiers return traumatised from modern day battlefields that are disguised by terms like "Enduring Freedom": the war comes closer and news of fatal casualties multiply. Will is assigned the "worst army job" after his return from Iraq. He becomes a "Messenger", who has to deliver these lethal news: in a soldierly manner, correctly, precisely and detached. Politeness instead of compassion is the manner in which the news of death from the war fronts break into the patriotic daily life full of green meadows and washed laundry. This is Will's story; a world of armies and the truth that war deforms and leaves people helpless as well as forever hurt. This is the film by Oren Moverman with great subversive and narrative power, an anti-war film at the right time.
Amnesty International Film Prize
The German branch of amnesty international has awarded the Amnesty International Film Prize for the first time at the Berlinale 2005. This award has already been presented at other international film festivals. The prize is worth 2,500 Euros. The jury will view films entered into the Competition, Panorama and Forum sections, paying special attention to documentaries. The aim of the prize is to draw the attention of audiences and representatives of the film industry to the theme of human rights and encourage filmmakers to tackle this topic. The jury members at the Berlinale 2009: Markus Beeko, Pepe Danquart, Clemens Schick.
The jury awards the Amnesty International Film Prize to
Storm
by Hans-Christian Schmid
Femina Film Prize
Germany’s Association of Women Working in Film will award for the first time the annual Femina Film Prize at the Berlinale. The prize honours the “outstanding artistic contribution of a female technician” in a German-language feature film in the areas of set design, camera work, costumes, music or editing. The aim of the prize is to highlight the contribution of the creative work of women towards the final result of a film. The prize is worth 3,000 Euros. The jury is comprised of three women working in the film industry. The jury members at the Berlinale 2009: Maria Gruber, Maren Kroymann, Erica Von Moeller.
The jury awards the Femina Film Prize to
Silke Fischer
for production design in Alle Anderen (Everyone else) by Maren Ade
| Readers Juries and Audience Awards |
Panorama Audience Award
All Berlinale visitors can vote for the Panorama Audience Award by filling in a vote sheet. The prize was started in 1999 and is made possible by a joint initiative between the Berlin city magazine "tip", the radio channel "Radioeins" and the Panorama section itself.
PanoramaAudienceAward-Winner 2009
The Yes Men Fix The World
by Mike Bonanno, Andy Bichlbaum, Kurt Engfehr
The "Berliner Morgenpost" Readers' Jury
The jury is made up of 12 readers of the daily newspaper "Berliner Morgenpost". It is awarded to a feature film in the Competition section.
This year’s Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Prize goes to
Storm
by Hans-Christian Schmid
The ELSE Siegessäule Reader's Choice Award
The jury, which is made up of seven readers of the Berlin gay and lesbian magazine "Siegessäule", takes into account all films with gay or lesbian content, regardless of which section they are in. The prize is awarded to a feature film. The 2009 Jury: Robby Block, Kathleen Fietz, Artur Kosmala, Lisa Mackenroth, Klaus Möller, Heike Moritz, Karen Wilbrandt.
The ELSE Siegessäule Reader's Choice Award goes to
City Of Borders
von Yun Suh
„Am I fucking the enemy?“ is one of the striking questions posed by Yun Suh`s City of Borders. These are the mutual suspicions of a lesbian couple during sex. One is a Palestinian atheist, the other a Jewish Israeli. Topical and nuanced, the film shows the complex and multi-layered nature of queer people’s daily life in Palestine/Israel – attacked, discriminated against and the subject of death threats from religious fundamentalists of all sides. Against this precarious background, we see the protagonists open secret meeting places, march for their rights on the streets and give the camera an intimate glimpse into their daily life. Our Siegessäule Jury was deeply impressed by the bravery displayed by the filmmaker and all the protaganists of City of Borders.
The "Tagesspiegel" Readers' Jury
Since the Berlinale 2007, the Berlin-based national daily newspaper "Tagesspiegel" has awarded a Readers' Prize. The jury consists of nine members and the prize is given to the best film in the Forum - along with 3.000 Euro.
This year’s Tagesspiegel Readers’ Prize goes to
Hayat var (My Only Sunshine)
by Reha Erdem
| Prizes of the Berlinale Talent Campus |
Volkswagen Score Competition
The Volkswagen-sponsored prize is directed towards young sound designers and composers. They can enter the Volkswagen Score Competition with sound recordings for selected film clips each two minutes long. An international jury chooses the three best contenders who can then produce their score with the Babelsberg film orchestra in Berlin studios. Afterwards, a jury awards the best score whose composer wins a trip to Los Angeles sponsored by Dolby.
The winner of the Volkswagen Score Competition Award is:
Atanas Valkov
Berlin Today Award
For the Berlin Today Award, Campus participants must form international teams and develop an idea for a short film which has something to do with Berlin. Three projects are selected and produced in co-operation with the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Boxfish Films. The films are shown at the next year’s Berlinale Talent Campus. The jury gives the best of these films the Berlin Today Award.
Winner of the Berlin Today Award 2009
Supriyo Sen
for Wagah
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