Nadav Lapid’s Synonyms has taken home the highest honors at this year’s Berlinale.
The feature helmed by Israeli director Nadav Lapid about a former IDF soldier trying to escape his past in Paris has won the Golden Bear for best film at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival. The film stars newcomer Tom Mercier.
According to Variety, when accepting the award Lapid said that the film would likely be considered scandalous in Israel and France as it skewers stereotypes from both nations.
The Silver Bear went to François Ozon’s By the Grace of God. The French drama delves into a story of abuse in the Catholic Church inspired by a real-life case.
This year’s prizes were bestowed by an international jury helmed by president Juliette Binoche. The jury comprised of film critic Justin Chang, actress Sandra Hüller, director Sebastián Lelio, curator and author Rajendra Roy, and producer Trudie Styler.
Some 400 films were screened during the publicly attended festival.
Check out the full list of winners below.
Golden Bear for Best Film: Synonyms, Nadav Lapid
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: By the Grace of God, François Ozon
Silver Bear for Best Director: Angela Schanelec, I Was at Home, But
Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize: Nora Fingscheidt’s System Crasher
Silver Bear for Best Actress: Yong Mei, So Long, My Son
Silver Bear for Best Actor: Wang Jingchun, So Long, My Son
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Piranhas, Maurizio Braucci, Claudio Giovannesi and Roberto Saviano
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution, Costume or Set Design: Out Stealing Horses, Rasmus Videbæk
Berlinale Glashütte Original – Documentary Prize: Talking About Trees, Suhaib Gasmelbari
Best First Feature: Oray, Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay
Golden Bear for Best Short Film: Umbra, Florian Fischer and Johannes Krell
Silver Bear for Short Film Jury Prize: Blue Boy, Manuel Abramovich
Audi Short Film Award: Rise, Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca
