The Awards ceremony for the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival 2022 took place this evening, February 16, in Berlin, Germany, four days earlier than initially scheduled. After watching the 18 films selected for competition, the international jury, presided by M. Night Shyamalan, have revealed the winner of this year's Golden Bear.
The International Jury this year is headed by screenwriter, director and producer M. Night Shyamalan, and comprises of director Karim Aïnouz, French-Tunisian film producer Saïd Ben Saïd, German director Anna Zohra Berrached, Zimbabwean filmmaker and writer Tsitsi Dangarembga, Japanese director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, and actor Connie Nielsen.
The performance awards are gender neutral for the second time. The Berlin International Film Festival began its gender-neutral acting prizes in 2021.
International Competition
The Golden Bear for the Best Film is awarded to Alcarràs, directed by Carla Simón. The jury president M. Night Shyamalan presented the award and introduced the film by commending its extraordinary performances—from child actors to those in their 80s—, its ability to show the tenderness and comedy of family struggle, and its portrayal of our connection and dependence on the land around us. The Spanish writer and director dedicated the award to the farmers who cultivate the Catalan land. In 2013, Simón was awarded the best first feature prize in Berlin for her debut, Summer 1993.
Hong Sangsoo's The Novelist's Film received the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. Presented by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, the jury considered that through its mastery of simplicity, the film's achievements give us courage to shatter barriers. South Korean director Hong Sangsoo showed surprise at winning the prize, and asked his lead actress Kim Min-hee to join him on the stage.
The Silver Bear Jury Prize was given to Robe of Gems, directed by Natalia Lopez Gallardo, for its empathic audience experience, jury member Connie Nielsen explained. Natalia Lopez Gallardo thanked the directors of the Berlinale and the members of the jury, and dedicated the award to the people of the state of Morelos in Mexico. This is Natalia Lopez Gallardo's debut feature, which is deemed a strikingly unsettling story.
Claire Denis was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director for her film Both Sides of the Blade. The film stars Vincent Lindon, Juliette Binoche and Grégoire Colin in a love-triangle story. Denis thanked her lead actors without whom she could not have won this award for the film's mise-en-scène.
The Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance was awarded to Meltem Kaptan for her role in Andreas Dresen's Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush. Kaptan is a TV comedian and presenter. She thanked her director and the casting director, concluding her acceptance speech by saying that love is stronger than borders.
The Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance was given to Laura Basuki for her role in the Indonesian film Before, Now & Then, directed by Kamila Andini. M. Night Shyamalan presented the award and called Basuki's performance a delicate portrayal of defiance.
Screenwriter Laila Stieler received the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay for Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush, directed by Andreas Dresen. Jury member Tsitsi Dangarembga called it a deeply moving film that highlights the importance of democracy, and which is full of humor and wit. The film is based on the true story of a Turkish-German mother who fought to have her son released from U.S. detention camp.
The Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution was awarded to the documentary film Everything Will be OK, directed by Rithy Panh, who found his Bear award cute. The Cambodian director won the Documentary Film prize at the Berlinale in 2020 for his film Irradiated.
The Special Jury Mention went to A Piece of Sky, directed by Michael Koch. Set in a small remote village in the Swiss Alps, the film follows lowlander, Marco, and single mother, Anna.
Encounters Prizes and Short Film Awards
The ceremony also presented the awards for the Encounters category, which has its own jury. The Special Jury Awards was given to See You Friday, Robinson by Mitra Farahani, which centers on the encounter between Iranian intellectual Ebrahim Golestan and French legendary film director Jean-Luc Godard. The Best Director Prize was awarded to Cyril Schaublin for his film Unrest. The Best Film went to Austrian documentary film Mutzenbacher, directed by Ruth Beckermann.
Myanmar Diaries, directed by the Myanmar Film Collective, won the Berlinale Documentary Award, which comes with €40,000, sponsored by RVB. The identities of the ten members of the collective are anonymous, and the film was shot in secret.
A special prize for debut films, the Best First Feature Award, was awarded to Kurdwin Ayub's Sonne.
The Golden Bear for Best Short film was awarded to Trap, directed by Anastasia Veber. Bruno Ribeiro won the Silver Bear prize for his short film Manhã de Domingo.
Honorary Golden Bear
French actress Isabelle Huppert is this year's recipient of the Honorary Golden Bear, to celebrate her outstanding career, starring in films such as Paul Verhoeven's Elle (2016), Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher (2001). The award for this special prize took place on February 15 in Berlin, but Huppert was unable to attend the Berlin Film Festival as she tested positive for the coronavirus. The French actress though emphasized her dedication to the Berlinale. To date, Isabelle Huppert has starred in seven films selected for competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, including François Ozon's 8 Femmes, for which the ensemble cast received a Silver Bear for outstanding artistic accomplishment. In 2016, she starred in Mia Hansen-Løve's L'Avenir (Things to Come), which won the Silver Bear for Best Director.
This year's Berlinale was a much shorter festival than previous years, due partly to the pandemic. There were 20% fewer films in this year's program than in 2020. The film screenings at this year's festival were all held in-person. "We really believe that the collective experience is at the center of the film festival experience," said Carlo Chatrain, the festival's artistic director.
