In “Dahomey,” Diop travels with 26 statues from France to present-day Benin, their country of origin. The experimental documentary fascinates with poetic passages – for example, one of the looted art treasures speaks several times off-screen. German director Matthias Klausner received a Silver Bear for the script of his play “Die”.
This year's Grand Jury Prize went to South Korea. The jury honored “Yeohaengjaui pilyo” (“A Traveller's Needs”), a whimsical chamber drama by veteran South Korean director Hong Sangsoo, starring Isabelle Hubbard in the title role.
Romanian-American actor Sebastian Stan accepted the Silver Bear for Best Performance in a Leading Role. He plays a man with a disfigured face in the tragic comedy “A Strange Man”. After an experiment, he becomes an outwardly attractive man. Contrary to his expectations, this did not bring him any luck.
Born in Romania in 1982, Stan grew up partly in Vienna and has lived in America since the age of twelve, first becoming known through television. The youth series “Gossip Girl” brought her more viewers since 2007. In recent years he has made a name for himself in cinema, particularly as an actor in fantasy films. Since he landed a pivotal role in 2011's “Captain America: The First Avenger,” he has been tasked with similar roles in several action blockbusters. Edward's role in “A Strange Man” is undoubtedly the most complex role of his career to date.
Best Supporting Actress went to Brit Emily Watson for the Irish-Belgian drama “Small Things Like This.” The jury prize was won by the sci-fi parody “El Empire.” Dominican Nelson Carlos de los Santos Arias won the Silver Bear for best director for “Pepe,” an experimental film about a dead hippopotamus in Colombia.
Martin Kschlagt received the award for his camera work for Veronica Franz and Severin Fiala's “Des Teifels Bad”. Starring Soap&Skin star Anja Plaschk in the title role, the film is set in rural Upper Austria in 1750 and is based on the fate of a woman trapped in this archaic life. The Viennese, born in 1969, insisted on sharing the prize with his “most important partners” at the Berlinale gala, naming Plaschg and the directing duo Franz and Fiala. “Martin's films are never finished, he never makes them because they are beautiful or spectacular, he always wants them to serve to tell the story of the film,” the two filmmakers insist. “Des Teufels Bad” opens in Austrian theaters on March 8.
Another red-white-red win: Ruth Beckerman's “Favourite” was awarded the peace prize in the secondary category by an independent jury at the film festival. Every year, it gives awards to films that convey a powerful message of peace and aesthetic implementation of the theme.
