The Iranian film scene is more than respected internationally – but in its own country the industry is suffering from the regime’s weakness. Funding is practically only available for films that do not criticize the prevailing conditions. It is already the third Golden Bear for a director from Iran: “Nader and Simin – A Separation” won by Asghar Farhadi in 2011, “Taxi Teheran” by Jafar Panahi in 2015. “There is no evil” is a German-Czech-Iranian co-production.
Director Rassulof, like his colleague Jafar Panahi, was arrested for protests after the 2009 presidential election and sentenced to six years in prison. Since then, at least officially, both of them are no longer allowed to make films. Nevertheless, they managed to make underground films and show them at foreign festivals.
Almighty Ministry of Culture
For decades there has been a great deal of tension between filmmakers and authorities in Iran. Scripts have to be approved by the Ministry of Culture, only then can production officially begin. But even after filming has ended, a department has to approve the screening of the films. Some scenes between a man and a woman that would be normal in Germany are not allowed there.
In four episodes, the ironic title “There is no evil” deals with people who are involved in the death penalty or whose lives are shaped by it. For example, an episode shows a family man who later turns out to be an executioner or an engaged couple, in the course of which the film shows that the man basically bought his home leave by participating in an execution.
Paula Beer best actress
German actress Paula Beer was honored as the best actress on Saturday evening – she received the Silver Bear for her role in Christian Petzold’s love film “Undine”. “Thank you so much,” Beer said. She is very happy. But you can only be as good as your counterpart – your colleague Franz Rogowski is the “most wonderful toy man” you could ask for. In Petzold’s film, the two play lovers.
The best actor was the Italian Elio Germano, who plays a painter in the artist drama “Hidden Away” (“Volevo nascondermi”) who lived for a long time from outcasts. The jury’s Grand Prize went to the coming-of-age drama “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”: US director Eliza Hittman tells of a 17-year-old woman who is unwittingly pregnant. The South Korean Hong Sangsoo won the Silver Bear for best director: In his film “The woman who ran”, a woman does something for the first time without her husband. The Italian brothers Fabio and Damiano D’Innocenzo received the Silver Bear for the script for the drama “Bad Tales” (“Favolacce”).
Jürgen Jürges awarded
The German cinematographer Jürgen Jürges was also honored, and has already shot with greats such as Wim Wenders and Rainer Werner Fassbinder. He now received the Silver Bear for an “outstanding artistic achievement” for his work on “DAU. Natasha “. The experimental film is part of a large-scale art project.
Alongside Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is one of the most important European film festivals. This year, 18 entries competed in the competition. For the first time, the Dutch Mariette Rissenbeek and the Italian Carlo Chatrian directed the film festival.
A special prize for the 70th Berlinale went to the French comedy “Delete History” (“Effacer l’historique”). The Alfred Bauer Prize was no longer awarded. The background to this is research into the past of the first festival director Alfred Bauer, who according to a report by “Zeit” was said to have been a “high-ranking official of the NS film bureaucracy”.
–