Documentary “Dahomey” Wins Golden Bear Award at 74th Berlin Film Festival
China News Service, Berlin, February 25 (Reporter Ma Xiuxiu) – The 74th Berlin Film Festival announced the winners of the main competition unit on the 24th, with the documentary “Dahomey” directed by Mati Diop taking home the prestigious Golden Bear for Best Film.
“Dahomey” tells the story of 26 valuable works of art that were looted by French soldiers in 1892 and eventually returned to Benin, West Africa in 2021.
Among the other winners at this year’s festival were “A Traveler’s Need” directed by Hong Sang-soo, which won the Jury Prize, and “Empire” directed by Bruno Dumont, which also received a Jury Prize. Dominican director Nelson Arias was honored with the Best Director Award, while Romanian-American actor Sebastian Stan and British actor Emily Watson won the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards, respectively. The films “Death Movement” and “Devil’s Bath” also received recognition for Best Screenplay and Outstanding Artistic Contribution.
The main competition section featured a total of 20 films, with the jury chaired by Lupita Nyong’o, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “12 Years a Slave”. Other jury members included Hong Kong director Ann Hui and German director Christian Petzold.
Established in 1951, the Berlin Film Festival is one of Europe’s top three film festivals, alongside Cannes and Venice. The Golden Bear and Silver Bear Awards are considered among the most prestigious in the industry, and are awarded by an international jury in the main competition section.
The 74th Berlin Film Festival opened on February 15, showcasing over 230 films from more than 80 countries and regions. The festival will continue until February 25th.