On the cinema planet, a festival begins, another ends. While Fespaco, the most important pan-African film festival in French-speaking Africa, opened its doors this Saturday evening in Ouagadougou, in Berlin, the 73rd Berlinale, the Berlin International Film Festival, awarded its trophies. A French documentary, On the Adamant, received the most prestigious award: the Golden Bear. A prize list honoring French people, but also African filmmakers in the other sections.
The Adamant, it’s a boat moored on the Seine, not far from the Gare de Lyon. This special kind of day hospital offers people suffering from psychiatric disorders a film club, painting or music lessons, but also to participate in the management of the bar.
True to his method, speechless offin direct contact, Nicolas Philibert makes us discover this unique place, where the boundaries between patients and caregivers seem to blur.
By presenting the Golden Bear to this deeply humanist film, the president of the jury, the American actress Kristen Stewart, felt that a festival was also there to push the limits.
Another French filmmaker was honored in Berlin: Philippe Garrel, who received the Silver Bear for best director for The big cartan autobiographical film.
Africa is also well served in the parallel sections: the Burkinabè Apolline Traoré was awarded the public prize in the Panorama section for Sirabeautiful portrait of a survivor of terrorism.
Finally, the Guinean Thierno Souleymane Diallo leaves with a prize for his documentary In the film cemeteryand Nigerian Babatunde Apalowo won the LGBTQI+ trophy for a romance between two loving men in Lagos.
►On the organizers’ website: The winners of the 73rd Berlinale