From left to right: Filmmakers Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias, Juliana Rojas, and Francisco Lezama
Numerous talents from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Peru were honored at the 74th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival. Among them was Dominican director Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias, who made history as the first Latin American filmmaker to win the Silver Bear for Best Director at the German festival for his feature film, Pepe.
During his acceptance speech, de los Santos Arias remarked, “For those who saw the film, it was already a surprise to be in this official competition.” His film tells the story of a young hippopotamus, named Pepe by Colombian media, who was killed in the jungle of Colombia but returns in the form of a ghost.
Brazilian filmmaker Juliana Rojas secured the Best Director Award in the Encounters competition for her film Cidade; Campo. The narrative revolves around rural worker Joana, who relocates to São Paulo in search of her sister Tania, living with her grandson Jaime after devastating floods in their hometown. Joana grapples with survival in this bustling urban environment, delving into precarious employment and applying for a job at a cleaning company.
The International Short Film Jury bestowed the Golden Bear for Best Short Film upon the Argentine production An Odd Turn / Un movimiento extraño by Francisco Lezama. Set in Buenos Aires in 2019, the film centers on Lucrecia, a museum security guard who predicts a significant rise in the dollar’s value with her pendulum. Upon losing her job unexpectedly, she receives a surprising severance payment and finds herself drawn to an employee of a currency exchange office, leading to an unexpected romance."
The sophomore feature from Costa Rican director Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, Memories of a Burning Body / Memorias de un cuerpo que arde, was the winner of the Audience Award for Best Fiction Film in the Panorama section of the festival. The film portrays the story of Ana, Patricia and Mayela, who, raised in a repressive era when sexuality was taboo, gradually found the meaning of femininity through unspoken rules and implicit impositions. Now, their courageous voices are embodied in a single 65-year-old woman who reviews a kaleidoscopic life in which memories, secrets and hidden desires intertwine.
The Peruvian film Reinas, directed by Klaudia Reynicke, clinched the Grand Prix of the International Jury for Best Film in Generation Kplus. In their statement, the jury elucidated their decision, praising the film's seamless integration of acting, lighting, characters, and narrative. They hailed it as a portrayal of everyday familial life that also serves as a poignant representation of Peru and its unique political history.
Set in Lima in the early nineties, Reinas tells the story of sisters Lucia and Aurora. who are about to leave their country forever with their mom, but they need their absent-father to sign exit papers. It's been convenient for Carlos to not be a dad, but now if he wants his daughters love, he has to earn back his place before they leave.
The Special Prize of the International Jury for the Best Short Film in Generation 14plus was presented to the Colombian-Cuban film A Bird Flew / Un pájaro voló by Leinad Pájaro de la Hoz; while two South American films received Special Mentions ion the Generation Kplus competition: the Peruvian film Through Rocks and Clouds / Raíz by Franco García Becerra, and the Colombian film Uli by Mariana Gil Ríos. In the Youth Jury Generation 14plus Crystal Bear competition, the Brazilian production Lapse / Lapso by Caroline Cavalcanti received a Special Mention for the Best Short Film.
And the Brazilian film Sleep with Your Eyes Open / Dormir de olhos abertos by German-born director Nele Wohlatz was the winner of the Critics’ Award in the Encounters competition, presented by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).
The 74th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival took place February 15-25.
