Assigned to his country, Iran. Imprisoned, prevented from coming to Berlin. Despite a 1-year prison sentence for propaganda against the regime, Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof was able to make a film, this “Sheytan vojud nadarad” (“There Is No Evil”) which won him the Golden Bear on Saturday. evening in Berlin. Neither really surprising nor totally undeserved, the award picked us up cold since this feature film was the ultimate screened in competition, and it was not possible to digest it as well as its competitors from previous days .
Divided into four equal length segments, “Sheytan …” addresses the subject of the death penalty by alternating views, victims or executioners depending on the story. It’s done very well, these four stories form as many or even more variations on morality or freedom, and a dull force runs through these stories. This film is the cry of a filmmaker held in Iran, a cry that resonated Friday evening in Berlin, at its premiere, greeted by a very long ovation.
All the other winners are receiving Silver Bears as they should be, and this list of achievements, even if it is highly politicized, is not in itself scandalous. The very strong “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” by Eliza Hittman, who dumbfounded on the journey of a young American woman on the difficult road to abortion, received the Jury Prize. The inevitable Hong Sangsoo, whom we knew more inspired than in his very Rohmerian “The Woman Who Ran”, was rewarded for his staging, it is true millimeter. The charming Paula Beer, whom Ozon had revealed in 2016 in “Frantz”, receives a Bear of female performer for “Undine” by Christian Petzold, while Elio Germano is awarded his male equivalent for the predictable “Volevo nascondermi” by Giorgio Diritti, in which he seems to be running for the prize.
“Dau. Natasha “by Ilya Khrzhanovskiy & Jekaterina Oertel is on the prize list for the work of the camera,” Favolacce “by the D’Innocenzo brothers for his script, and finally, the stripper” Clear history “by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern inherits from the special silver bear of the 70th Berlinale. Everyone is happy, including Cristi Puiu, best director of the Encounter section for his “Malmkrog”, co-produced by Genevans (Dan Wechsler from Bord Cadre films and Jamal Zeinal Zade).
The resumption of the Berlinale by a Carlo Chatrian who had done his hand in directing Locarno has proved fruitful. Critics read in the German press, who blame him for his lack of glamor and stars (let them go to the Oscars!), Are completely off the mark, even reactionary. Flanked by Mariette Rissenbeek, co-director who knows the world of German cinema from his pocket, Chatrian has perfectly fulfilled his contract, selecting this great author’s cinema that he has always known how to impose, and without making any concessions. See you next year!
Created: 01.03.2020, 22h54
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