Looted art documentary by Mati Diop wins main prize at the Berlinale
Published: Saturday, Feb 24th 2024, 22:10
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For the second time in a row, a documentary film won the Berlinale's most important prize, the Golden Bear, on Saturday evening: "Dahomey" by French-born director Mati Diop. Her film deals with the restitution of art treasures that were looted from the West African country of Benin, formerly Dahomey, in 1892. "Giving back means practicing justice," said Diop when she accepted the award.
In "Dahomey", the 41-year-old with Senegalese roots accompanies 26 statues on their journey from France to their country of origin. A total of around 7,000 works of art were stolen around 130 years ago and are still in France today.
Documentary with a talking statue
The experimental documentary captivates with poetic passages - for example, one of the artworks speaks off-screen several times. One part of the film shows a discussion in Benin among predominantly young people. They argue about whether the restitution should be seen as progress or as post-colonial arrogance. Current problems in the country, such as poverty and the lack of education, are also discussed.
Silver Bear for German director
Several Silver Bears were also awarded. One went to German director Matthias Glasner for the screenplay of his drama "Dying". In the film, the director dealt with the complex relationship with his family. Glasner was worried beforehand that the drama might be too personal. But it touched many people. "It was somehow worth it, that if you open up so much yourself, others will open up too," said the 59-year-old after the award ceremony.
The Grand Jury Prize went to the melancholy comedy "Yeohaengjaui pilyo" ("A Traveler's Needs") by veteran South Korean director Hong Sangsoo, starring Isabelle Huppert. Romanian-American actor Sebastian Stan was named Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in the tragicomedy "A Different Man".
The British actress Emily Watson received the award for best supporting role in "Small Things Like These". The Irish-Belgian drama with "Oppenheimer" star Cillian Murphy opened this year's Berlinale. Watson came on stage with a crutch - she had a broken foot, the 57-year-old explained after the award ceremony.
Frenchman Bruno Dumont received the Jury Prize for the sci-fi parody "L'Empire". Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias won the Silver Bear for Best Director for "Pepe", an experimental film about a dead hippopotamus in Colombia.
Austrian cinematographer Martin Gschlacht was honored for an outstanding artistic achievement. He received the award for his work on the morbid historical drama "The Devil's Bath".
Palestinian filmmaker calls for end to arms deliveries to Israel
This year's Berlinale was particularly characterized by political debates - including at the award ceremony. On stage, Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra called on Germany to stop supplying weapons to Israel. Adra had made the documentary "No Other Land" with three other filmmakers and won the Documentary Film Award for it.
The Israeli-Palestinian collective had already called for a ceasefire in Gaza during the film's premiere at the Berlinale. "No Other Land" is about the displacement of Palestinians in the villages of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the West Bank. Several people on stage carried a piece of paper with the words "Ceasefire Now" on it, for example the Frenchwoman Véréna Paravel from the Documentary Film Award jury.
Alongside Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is one of the biggest film festivals in the world. In 2023, the documentary "Sur l'Adamant" won the Golden Bear.
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