(Berlin) “As a French-Senegalese filmmaker of African descent, I have chosen to be one of those who refuse to forget, who refuse to lose memory,” director Mati Diop announced on Saturday evening, after receiving the 1974 Golden Bear award.H Berlinale. His movie Dahomey Another documentary follows, Ali Al-Mu'tasim By French director Nicolas Philibert, who won the prestigious award at the Berlin Film Festival last year.
The jury chaired by the Mexican-Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o unanimously approved this fascinating documentary focusing on France's return to Benin, in 2021, of 26 works of royal treasure from Dahomey plundered in the 19th century.H a century. An impressionistic film with supernatural overtones, e.gAtlanticIt is the first feature film by director Mati Diop, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.
Image courtesy of Berlinale
Dahomey Won the 74th Golden BearH Berlinale.
It is in the metaphysical questioning of the freed souls of these uprooted sculptures and of the students of the University of Abomey that this atypical documentary finds its full meaning.
Only 26 of the 7,000 stolen works were returned. Is this an insult or the beginning of reparation? The question haunts this powerful, hour-long film about colonialism and its impact on the cultures of African populations.
Mati Diop (41 years old) took advantage of his platform to show his solidarity with the Palestinian people, imitating many of the winners and presenters of the closing ceremony, in a context in which Germany supports Israel unconditionally. The words “apartheid” and “genocide” were uttered several times, while the festival's outgoing co-director, Mariette Riesenbeek, once again avoided calling for a ceasefire.
The Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Korean director Hong Sang-soo for his film Traveler's needs, which stars Isabelle Huppert as a tourist and ephemeral seductress who improvises as a French teacher in Seoul. “I'll be curious to know what you find in this movie. That's a lot!” declared the rebel, making the jury burst into laughter.
Even more bizarre, in thanks and on screen, is the Frenchman Bruno Dumont and his parody star Wars, EmpireThey were crowned with the jury's Silver Bear award. Set in northern France, this crazy comedy deliberately brings together professional and non-professional actors with very little talent. Dumont pokes fun at Manichaeism in sci-fi films, which is very nice, but his Star Wars Interstellar ran out of steam by trying to reach new heights of absurdity.
Emily Watson won the new gender-neutral award for Best Supporting Performance for her film Little things like this By Tim Millants. I found her a bit cartoonish in the role of the iron-fisted Mother Superior, who seems domineering and stubborn despite her outward compassion. And it wasn't his playmate, Cillian Murphy, who won the Silver Bear for Best Performance in a Leading Role. It would have been worth it though.
“For a little guy born in Romania, it's a great honor,” said Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier in the series). Avengers), who won the award different man By Aaron Shimberg. The role of a severely disabled man who undergoes experimental facial reconstruction surgery and whose life is turned upside down, for better and for worse.
Matthias Glasner won Best Screenplay for his film StirbinNelson Carlo of Los Santos Arias won Best Director babyAnd Martin Gschlacht, who has the best artistic contribution to directing the picture Devil's bathroom.
Where we come from, the debut feature film by Montrealer Maryam Jabbour, did not find a place in the charts. On the other hand, Montrealer Oksana Karpović received a special mention from the ecumenical jury, on Saturday afternoon, for her disturbing documentary. It was intercepted.
Accommodation was paid for by Berlinale and Telefilm Canada.
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