Romanian movie wins Berlinale’s Golden Bear

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) – The 71st Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) 's top award Golden Bear went to the Romanian director Radu Jude's irreverent, contemporary satire Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn.

"The Golden Bear goes to a film that has that rare and essential quality of a lasting artwork. It captures on screen the very content and essence, the mind and body, the values and the raw flesh of our present moment in time. Of this very moment of human existence," a jury statement said.

Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi won Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize with Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, while Silver Bear Jury Prize was awarded to Maria Speth's Mr. Bachmann and His Class.

World War II drama Natural Light brought Silver Bear for Best Director to Hungary's Denes Nagy.

"A portrait of war in which the observant gaze of the director reminds us again of the need to choose between passivity and taking individual responsibility," the jury said about the movie.

Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance was awarded to German actress Maren Eggert for her role in I'm Your Man, while Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance was awarded to Lilla Kizlinger, who starred in Forest – I See You Everywhere.

Hong Sangsoo from South Korea won the Silver Bear for Screenplay for Introduction, while the Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution went to Yibran Asuad for the editing of A Cop Movie, directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios.

The jury members included Mohammad Rasoulof from Iran, Nadav Lapid from Israel, Adina Pintilie from Romania, Ildiko Enyedi from Hungary, Gianfranco Rosi from Italy and Jasmila Zbanic from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The 71st Berlinale launched between March 1-5, with an Industry Event (European Film Market, Berlinale Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents and Word Cinema Fund) for film professionals and accredited representatives of the press, which all took place online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"From June 9 to 20, 2021, the Summer Special will give the general public the opportunity to see the majority of the 2021 selected films in Berlin cinemas in the presence of the filmmakers. The opening of the Summer Special will be celebrated with a gala event on June 9," Berlinale had announced earlier.