In her acceptance speech, Marie-Rose Osta drew attention to the suffering endured by Palestinians, both in Gaza and in her own country, while Alkhatib spoke of finding refuge in Germany, noting that some had cautioned him against openly criticizing the country’s leadership.
Despite those warnings, Alkhatib said he felt compelled to question Germany’s refusal to join other nations in accusing Israel of committing “genocide in Gaza.”
The 76th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) closed on Saturday night with the announcement of the winners, bringing to an end a politically charged edition marked by debate, solidarity statements, and strong auteur cinema.
Awards are as follows:
Golden Bear (Best Film): Yellow Letters, directed by Ilker Çatak, won the Berlinale’s top prize for its politically charged drama about artistic repression in Turkey.
Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize: Salvation by Emin Alper, a stark portrayal of clan violence inspired by real events, took the festival’s second-highest honour.
Silver Bear – Jury Prize: Queen at Sea by Lance Hammer was awarded for its intimate exploration of dementia, consent, and family bonds.
Silver Bear – Best Director: Grant Gee won for Everybody Digs Bill Evans, a restrained biopic of jazz pianist Bill Evans.
Silver Bear – Best Leading Performance: Sandra Hüller was honoured for her transformative role in Rose, portraying a woman passing as a man in the 17th century.
Silver Bear – Best Supporting Performance: Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall shared the award for their performances in Queen at Sea.
Silver Bear – Best Screenplay: Nina Roza written by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles was recognized for its script about identity, exile, and artistic inheritance.
Silver Bear – Outstanding Artistic Contribution: Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird) by Anna Fitch won for its inventive documentary form using puppetry and miniatures.
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury: Flies by Fernando Eimbcke was awarded for its humanist story of unexpected companionship.
FIPRESCI Jury Prize: Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun received critics’ honors for its poetic, magical-realist storytelling.
GWFF Best First Feature Award: Chronicles From a Siege by Palestinian director Abdallah Alkhatib won the Berlinale’s top debut feature prize.
Golden Bear – Best Short Film: Someday a Child by Lebanese filmmaker Marie-Rose Osta took the short film top honor.
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