Berlin (dpa) – The documentary film “On the Adamant” (Sur l’Adamant) by French director Nicolas Philibert has won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale. The film tells the story of a support facility in Paris for people with mental health problems. An award also went to the latest film by German director Christian Petzold at the International Film Festival: “Afire” (Roter Himmel) received the Grand Jury Prize.
In terms of acting distinctions, the jury singled out the youngest winner in the Festival’s history: eight-year-old Sofía Otero received the award for Best Acting Performance in a Leading Role. In the coming-of-age film “20,000 Species of Bees” (20.000 especies de abejas) she plays a child in search of their gender identity.
The Berlinale is regarded as one of the major film festivals alongside Cannes and Venice. The international jury was headed by US actress Kristen Stewart this year, while US director Steven Spielberg, actress Cate Blanchett and Hollywood star Anne Hathaway were among those to visit Berlin in recent days. The festival also raised awareness of the war in Ukraine and the situation in Iran. Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth congratulated the prize winners, saying they embraced a cinematic art that celebrated life, humanity, compassion and the aspiration to freedom and self-determination.
Originally published at https://www.deutschland.de/en/news/golden-bear-for-documentary-film-sur-ladamant
