‘There Is No Evil’ Wins Golden Bear Award at Berlin Film Festival by Steve Pond

‘There Is No Evil’ Wins Golden Bear Award at Berlin Film Festival –

“Sheytan vojud nadarad” (“There Is No Evil”) has won the Golden Bear Award at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival, the Berlin jury announced at a ceremony on Saturday.

The film by director Mohammad Rasoulof consists of four different stories about military men in Iran who are asked to perform executions. It won in a competition lineup that consisted of 18 movies and also included Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow,” Sally Potter’s “‘The Roads Not Taken,” Philippe Garrel’s “The Salt of Tears,” Abel Ferrara’s “Siberia” and Christian Petzold’s “Undine.”

Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” the story of two teenage girls traveling from Pennsylvania to New York City for an abortion, won the Grand Jury Prize, the festival’s second-place award.

Also Read: ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ Director Explains Why Her Stars Auditioned in a Bathroom (Video)

Acting awards went to Elio Germano for “Volevo nascondermi” (“Hidden Away”) and Paula Beer for “Undine.” Hong Sangsoo won the directing award for “The Woman Who Ran.”

The Silver Bear Award went to “Delete History” by Benoir Delepine and Gustave Kervern, while a special award for artistic contribution was given to “DAU. Natasha” cinematographer Jurgen Jurges.

Past winners of the Golden Bear have included the Oscar-nominated “Fire at Sea,” “On Body and Soul” and “The Milk of Sorrow,” as well as the Oscar-winning “A Separation.” The last American film to take the prize was Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” in 2000.

The documentary award went to Cambodian director Rithy Panh’s “Irradiated.”

Also Read: Christian Petzold Drama and Romance ‘Undine’ Sells to IFC Films

The main competition jury was headed by actor Jeremy Irons and also included French actress Berenice Bejo, German producer Bettina Brokemper, Palestinian director Annemaric Jacir, American director Kenneth Lonergan, Italian actor Luca Marinelli and Brazilian director Kleber Mendonca Filho.

The complete list of winners:

Golden Bear: “Sheytan vojud nadarad” (“There Is No Evil”)

Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”

Silver Bear: “Effacer l’historique” (“Delete History”)
Silver Bear for Best Director: Hong Sangsoo, “Domangchin yeoja” (“The Woman Who Ran”)
Silver Bear for Best Actor: Elio Germano, “Volevo nascondermi” (“Hidden Away”)
Silver Bear for Best Actress: Paula Beer, “Undine”
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: D’Innocenzo brothers, “Favolacce” (“Bad Tales”)
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: Jurgen Jurges, cinematographer, “DAU. Natasha”

Encounters Competition, Best Film: “The Works and Days (Of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)”
Encounters Competition, Special Jury Award: “The Trouble With Being Born”
Encounters Competition, Best Director: Cristi Puiu, “Malmkrog”
Encounters, special mention, best director: Matias Pineiro, “Isabella”

Also Read: Christian Petzold Drama and Romance ‘Undine’ Sells to IFC Films

Berlinale Documentary Award: “Irradies” (“Irradiated”)
Special mention, Berlinale Documentary Award: “Aufzeichnungen aus der Unterwelt” (“Notes From the Underworld”)

GWFF Best First Feature Award: “Los conductos”
Special mention, GWFF Best First Feature Award: “Nackte Tiere” (“Naked Animals”)

Golden Bear for Best Short Film: “T”
Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film): “Filipana”
Audi Short Film Award: “Genius Loci”
Berlin Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards: “It Wasn’t the Right Mountain, Mohammad”

Generation section, Youth Jury, Crystal Bear for Best Film: “Our Lady of the Nile”
Generation section, Youth Jury, Special Mention: “White Riot”
Generation section, Youth Jury, Crystal Bear for Best Short Film: “Clebs”
Generation section, Youth Jury, Short Film Special Mention: “Goodbye Golovin”
Generation section, International Jury, Grand Prize: “My Name Is Baghdad”
Generation section, International Jury, Special Mention: “Voices in the Wind”
Generation section, International Jury, Special Prize: “Clebs”
Generation section, International Jury, Special Mention: “White Winged Horse”
Generation section, Children’s Jury, Grand Prize: “Sweet Thing”
Generation section, Children’s Jury, Special Mention: “H Is for Happiness”
Generation section, Children’s Jury, Crystal Bear for Best Short Film: “The Name of the Son”
Generation section, Children’s Jury, Short Film Special Mention: “Miss”