For the second time in a row, a documentary won the Berlinale’s most important prize, the Golden Bear, on Saturday evening: “Dahomey” by French-born director Mati Diop. Your film deals with the return of art treasures that were stolen from Benin, West Africa, formerly Dahomey, in 1892. “Giving back is doing justice,” Diop said as she accepted the award.
In “Dahomey”, the 41-year-old with Senegalese roots accompanies 26 statues on their journey from France to their country of origin. In total, around 7,000 works of art were stolen around 130 years ago and are still in France today.
Documentary with a talking statue
The experimental documentary captivates with poetic passages – for example, one of the works of art speaks off-screen several times. Part of the film shows a discussion in Benin among mostly young people. They argue about whether the return should be seen as progress or as postcolonial arrogance. Current problems in the country such as poverty and the lack of education are also discussed.
Silver Bear for German director
Several Silver Bears were also awarded. One went to the German director Matthias Glasner for the script of his drama “Die”. In the film, the director dealt with the complex relationship with his family. Glasner was initially worried that the drama might be too personal. But it touched many people. “It was somehow worth it that when you open yourself up so much that others open up too,” said the 59-year-old after the award ceremony.
The Grand Jury Prize went to the melancholic comedy “Yeohaengjaui pilyo” (“A Traveler’s Needs”) by South Korean veteran director Hong Sangsoo, starring Isabelle Huppert. Romanian-American actor Sebastian Stan was named best actor for his performance in the tragicomedy “A Different Man.”
Best supporting role for Emily Watson
Britain’s Emily Watson won the award for best supporting role in “Small Things Like These.” The Irish-Belgian drama with “Oppenheimer” star Cillian Murphy opened this year’s Berlinale. Watson came on stage with a crutch – she had a broken foot, the 57-year-old explained after the award ceremony.
The Frenchman Bruno Dumont received the jury prize for the sci-fi parody “L’Empire”. Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias won the Silver Bear for best director for “Pepe,” an experimental film about a dead hippopotamus in Colombia.
Cameraman Martin Gschlacht honored
The Austrian cameraman Martin Gschlacht was honored for an outstanding artistic achievement. He received the prize for his work on the morbid historical drama “Des Teufels Bad”.
Basel Adra calls for an end to arms deliveries to Israel
This year’s Berlinale was particularly characterized by political debates – including at the awards ceremony. The Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra called on Germany on stage to stop supplying weapons to Israel. Adra made the documentary “No Other Land” with three other filmmakers and won the documentary film award for it.
The Israeli-Palestinian collective had already called for a ceasefire in Gaza during the film premiere at the Berlinale. “No Other Land” is about the displacement of Palestinians in the villages of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the West Bank. Several people on stage carried a note with the inscription “Ceasefire Now”, for example the Frenchwoman Véréna Paravel from the documentary film award jury.
Along with Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is one of the world’s largest film festivals. In 2023, the documentary “Sur l’Adamant” won the Golden Bear.
