BERLIN (AP) 鈥� The French documentary 鈥淥n the Adamant鈥� (Sur l'Adamant) directed by Nicolas Philibert was named best film Saturday at this year's Berlin International Film Festival.
The film takes viewers onto a Seine barge in Paris that serves as a floating day-care center for adults suffering from mental disorders.
鈥淭hat a documentary is awarded and celebrated, that a documentary can be considered to be cinema in its own right touches me deeply,鈥� said a visibly moved Philibert after the prize was announced by the seven-member jury headed by .
Philibert said that in the film he had tried to 鈥渞everse the image鈥� that people have of those with mental illness and allow viewers to see 鈥渨hat unites us beyond our differences鈥�
鈥淎s we all know, the craziest people are not those we think they are,鈥� he added.
The award for best director went to fellow French filmmaker Philippe Garrel for 鈥淭he Plough鈥� (Le grand chariot) about three siblings who are trying to keep alive the family puppeteering business.
Best leading performance was awarded to Spanish actor Sof铆a Ortero, who plays an 8-year-old child searching for identity and acceptance in 鈥�20,000 Species of Bees鈥� (20.000 especies de abejas).
The award for best supporting performance went to Austrian actor Thea Ehre for her role in 鈥淭ill the End of the Night鈥� (Bis ans Ende der Nacht), while the best screenplay went to 鈥淢usic鈥� by German filmmaker Angela Schanelec.
French cinematographer H茅l猫ne Louvart received the Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution for her work on 鈥淒isco Boy.鈥�
The 73rd Berlinale kicked off with , who asked artists and filmmakers to unequivocally declare their support for his country in its effort to fend off Russia's invasion forces
Zelenskyy, a former comedian and actor, featured prominently in Sean Penn鈥檚 film about the war in Ukraine, 鈥淪uperpower,鈥� .
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The Associated Press
