The 75th Berlin International Film Festival has honored several films with Jewish and Israeli relevance.
By Oliver Bradley EJP Berlin
Berlinale Documentary Award & Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Holding Liat won the Berlinale Documentary Award, endowed with €40,000, as well as Best Film of the Berlinale’s Forum section with the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, endowed with €2,500. The film, which follows the family of an Israeli hostage, presents a rare pluralistic view of the Gaza conflict, showcasing diverging perspectives within Israeli society—seldom is such diverging pluralistic points of view presented so strongly in films about Israel at the Berlinale.
Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance
The Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance was awarded to Rose Byrne for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, directed by Mary Bronstein. Bronstein and her husband, Ronald Bronstein, are renowned as a cinematic dream team, frequently collaborating on their film projects. In this film, Byrne portrays Linda, a working mother navigating the challenges of motherhood.
Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance
Andrew Scott received the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance for his role in Blue Moon, directed by Richard Linklater. The film recounts the short life of Jewish Broadway songwriter Lorenz Hart, portrayed by Ethan Hawke. It explores Hart’s struggles with alcoholism and mental health during the opening of the Broadway musical Oklahoma!
Documentary Audience Award – Second Place
The second-place award in the Documentary Audience category of the Berlinale Panorama section went to Yalla Parkour, a Swedish-Qatari-Saudi-Palestinian co-production directed by Areeb Zuaiter. This sensitive documentary follows Gazan children competing in parkour competitions, subtly intertwining the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, focusing on Palestinian resilience without emphasizing victimhood—a unique and rarely seen non-belligerent perspective on Israel at the Berlinale.
Amnesty International Film Award
The Amnesty International Film Award, endowed with €5,000, was awarded to Die Möllner Briefe (The Moelln Letters) by Martina Priessner. While not directly related to Jewish themes, the film addresses right-wing terrorism in Germany and the rise of right-wing extremism, a current topic that has also been a cause of concern often addressed by Jewish voices in Germany.