Golden Bear goes to “Yellow Letters”
For the first time in more than 20 years, a film by a German director scoops the top award at the Berlinale: İlker Çatak tells a tale of political oppression in “Yellow Letters”.
Berlin (dpa) - “Yellow Letters”, a political drama by Berlin director İlker Çatak, has won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale. This was announced by the International Film Festival in Berlin. This is the first time in more than 20 years that a film by a German director has scooped the festival’s top award. Fatih Akin’s “Head-On” was the last German film to win the Golden Bear, back in 2004.
Director and screenplay co-writer Çatak (“The Teachers’ Lounge”) tells the story of a Turkish couple who are theatre artists and come under political pressure. Jury President Wim Wenders said the film could be seen as a terrifying premonition, “a look into the near future that could possibly happen in our countries as well”.
The actor Sandra Hüller was honoured with a Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance. The 47-year-old received the award for her role in Markus Schleinzer’s drama “Rose”. In it, Hüller plays a woman who pretends to be a man in a small, remote village in the 17th century. Sandra Hüller, who is from the German state of Thuringia, already won the 2006 Silver Bear for Best Actress for her role in the drama “Requiem”.
“Kurtuluş”, a tragedy by Turkish director Emin Alper, won the Grand Jury Prize.
