Written by Reem Saleh, New Media, DFI

Berlinale have announced the winners of their 61st international festival, which took place between 10th and 20th February 2011.

The top award, a Golden Bear for Best Director, went to Ashgar Farhadi for his latest film “Nader and Simin, a Separation”. In the film, Simin is pleading for a divorce from her husband Nader, who has changed his mind about leaving Iran and decided to stay with his dad, an Alzheimers sufferer. In addition to the film, both the female and male cast also received special attention at the festival, receiving a Silver Bear for Best Actress: Female Ensemble, and a Silver Bear for Best Actor: Male Ensemble. DFI sat down with Farhadi during Berlinale to discuss his award winning film.

The Golden Bear is not the first acknowledgement for Farhadi, as he previously received a Silver Bear for Best Director for his film “About Elli” in 2009. Initially, Farhadi was banned from making the film due to his support of Iranian filmmakers Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Jafar Panahi, both of whom are part of the opposition Green movement in Iran. In September 2010, however, the ban was lifted and the film was completed.

Panahi, the renowned Iranian director famous for “White Balloon” and “Offside”, was sentenced to a six-year jail term in December 2010, and banned from making films for 20 years. To show their support, Berlinale granted him an honorary jury member title this year, leaving a chair empty as a symbolic gesture. Panahi, from his prison cell, wrote a letter that was read by the President of the International Jury, Isabella Rossellini, saying: “The reality is they have deprived me of thinking and writing for twenty years, but they cannot keep me from dreaming that in twenty years inquisition and intimidation will be replaced by freedom and free thinking”. To read or view the full letter on video and print, check the following Berlinale Link.

At the press launch of the Cine Foundation International in January 2011, Hungarian director Béla Tarr, in solidarity with Panahi, said: “Cinematography is an integral part of universal human culture! An attack against cinematography is desecrating universal human culture! This cannot be justified by any notion, ideology or religious conviction! Our friend, brother and esteemed colleague Jafar Panahi is in prison today, based on conjured and fictional accusations! Jafar did not do anything else than what is the duty of all of us; to talk honestly, fairly about our own country and loved ones, to show everything that surrounds us with tender tolerance and harsh austerity! Jafar’s real crime is that he did just that; gracefully, elegantly and with a roguish smile in his eyes! Jafar made us love his heroes, the people of Iran; he achieved that they have become members of our families! WE CANNOT LOSE HIM! This is our common responsibility, as despite all appearances we belong together.”

Tarr was present at the Berlinale this year with “The Turin Horse”, which earned him a Silver Bear for the Jury Grand Prix. The Berlinale website quotes Tarr describing his film as follows: “In Turin on 3rd January, 1889, Friedrich Nietzsche steps out of the doorway of number six, Via Carlo Albert. Not far from him, the driver of a hansom cab is having trouble with a stubborn horse. Despite all his urging, the horse refuses to move, whereupon the driver loses his patience and takes his whip to it. Nietzsche comes up to the throng and puts an end to the brutal scene, throwing his arms around the horse’s neck, sobbing. His landlord takes him home, where he lies motionless and silent for two days on a divan until he mutters the obligatory last words, and lives for another ten years, silent and demented, cared for by his mother and sisters. We do not know what happened to the horse.” The 55-year old director has also announced that “The Turin Horse” will be the last film he’ll direct.

Other awards include:

• A Silver Bear for Best Director to Ulrich Kohler (Sleeping Sickness);
• Joshua Martson and Andamion Murataj received a Silver Bear for Best Script (The Forgiveness of blood); and
• The Alfred Bauer Prize, the award in memory of the festival founder for a work of particular innovation, was awarded to Andres Veiel for his film “If not us, who”.

For a full list of Awards at Berlinale this year, please click here.