Berlinale 2024
Another documentary wins the race for the Golden Bear
French director Mati Diop is happy about the Golden Bear for the best film, the documentary “Dahomey”.
© imago/Cathrin Bach
As in the previous year, a documentary wins the race for the Golden Bear. “Dahomey” by director Mati Diop was named best film.
The Berlinale 2024 ended on Saturday evening (February 24th) with the awards ceremony. The winner of the Golden Bear for best film is the documentary “Dahomey” by French director Mati Diop (41). The film follows the return of 26 looted art exhibits from a Paris museum to Benin, a country in West Africa. Dahomey was the name of a former kingdom on the coast of the Bay of Benin.
Last year, the French psychiatric documentary “Sur l’Adamant” by Nicolas Philibert (73), which was also not a feature film, but a documentary, was awarded the Golden Bear.
A Silver Bear also went to a French production
The Grand Jury Prize (Silver Bear) went to “Yeohaengjaui pilyo” (“A Traveler’s Needs”) by the South Korean director Hong Sang-soo (63). But at the jury’s prize (Silver Bear) for “L’ Empire” (“The Empire”) by director Bruno Dumont (65) it became French again. Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias (39) from the Dominican Republic won the award for best director for “Pepe”. The Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Achievement went to the Austrian Martin Gschlacht (55) for the camera in “Des Teufels Bad” (The Devil’s Bath) by the Austro-directing duo Veronika Franz (59) and Severin Fiala (39).
Other important awards went to the artists in front of the camera: The Silver Bear for the best acting performance in a leading role went to the Romanian-American actor Sebastian Stan (41) for his role in the US director’s “A Different Man”. Aaron Schimberg. The counterpart for the best supporting role went to the British Emily Watson (57) for “Small Things Like These” by the Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants (44).
A German production awarded
Director Matthias Glasner (59) was awarded a Silver Bear for the best script for his drama “Die” – it is the only award for a German production from the International Jury 2024 under the direction of Hollywood star Lupita Nyong’o (40).
Martin Scorsese (81) had previously received the Honorary Golden Bear for his life’s work and accepted it personally in Berlin.