Movies to Watch After Berlinale 2016

The 66th Berlin Film Festival presented movie enthusiasts with a programme that should be definetely added to your watchlist.

Films of every genre, length and format find their place in the various sections of the Festival: great international cinema in the Competition, independent and art house in Panorama, films for young audiences in Generation, new discoveries and promising talents from the German film scene in Perspektive Deutsches Kino, avant garde, experimental and unfamiliar cinematography in the Forum and Forum Expanded, and an exploration of cinematic possibilities in Berlinale Shorts. Alll this being just a part of a bigger scope.

Probably there is no surprise that this year the Golden Bear for the Best Film has been awarded to the documentary expanding on the global crisis of immigrants - Fire at Sea (Fuocoammare) by Italian director Gianfranco Rosi. It talks about the refugee crisis on the island of Lampedusa.

“At this moment I have to think about all the people who did not survive the journey to Lampedusa,” Rosi said upon accepting the prize. “Lampedusa is a generous place. It is a place of fishermen, and fishermen always open their arms to those who come from the sea.”

In addition to the Golden Bear, the international jury headed by Meryl Streep has selected the winners in the following categories:

the Jury Grand Prix (Silver Bear) - Death in Sarajevo (Smrt u Sarajevu / Mort à Sarajevo) by Danis Tanović
the Alfred Bauer Prize (Silver Bear) – in memory of the Festival Founder – for a feature film that opens new perspectives - A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis) by Lav Diaz
the Award for Best Director (Silver Bear) - Mia Hansen-Løve for L' avenir (Things to Come)
the Award for Best Actress (Silver Bear) - Trine Dyrholm in Kollektivet (The Commune) by Thomas Vinterberg
the Award for Best Actor (Silver Bear) - Majd Mastoura in Inhebbek Hedi (Hedi) by Mohamed Ben Attia
the Award for Best Screenplay (Silver Bear) - Tomasz Wasilewski for Zjednoczone stany miłości (United States of Love) by Tomasz Wasilewski
the Award for an Outstanding Artistic Achievement in the categories camera, editing, music score, costume or set design (Silver Bear) - Mark Lee Ping-Bing for the camera in Chang Jiang Tu (Crosscurrent) by Yang Chao