email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

BERLINALE 2021 Awards

At the Berlinale, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn proves lucky after all

by 

- BERLINALE 2021: Radu Jude has picked up the Golden Bear, with Mr Bachmann and His Class also getting some love

At the Berlinale, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn proves lucky after all
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn by Radu Jude

Underlining the fact that it is, in fact, not the end, but just the beginning for the 71st edition of the Berlinale, which is still counting on showing its full programme to audiences in person in Berlin come June, artistic director Carlo Chatrian invited his jurors to announce their decision on 5 March, thus rounding off the first part of the event held online for the industry and press.

Composed of former Golden Bear winners Ildikó Enyedi, Nadav Lapid, Adina Pintilie, last year's champion Mohammad Rasoulof, Gianfranco Rosi and Jasmila Žbanić, they picked Radu Jude to join their ranks with his Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Jude
film profile
]
, about a sex video complicating the life of a teacher. “It's a film that has that rare and essential quality of a lasting artwork,” read Lapid. “It captures on screen the very content and essence, the mind and body, the values and the raw flesh of our present moment in time, of this very moment of human existence. It does so by provoking the spirit of our time by slapping it, by challenging it to a duel. It attacks the spectator, evokes disagreement, but leaves no one with a safety distance.”

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

With the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize going to Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Maria Speth's documentary Mr Bachmann and His Class [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
was also noticed, getting the Silver Bear Jury Prize. “In a film, you can draw attention to deep problems by sticking your finger in the wound, or by showing hope and giving inspiration as to how to achieve a positive change. The latter is the strategy that the director of this tenderly powerful documentary chose to follow,” noted Enyedi. “The film shows how far you can go simply with true respect and sincere communication, and with that magic that all great teachers possess: sparking the fire of passion in their students by activating their fantasy.”

Hungary had a good day, too, with Dénes Nagy named Best Director for his debut, Natural Light [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dénes Nagy
film profile
]
, and Lilla Kizlinger getting the Best Supporting Performance gong for Forest – I See You Everywhere [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Bence Fliegauf. Best Leading Performance went to Maren Eggert, playing a woman slowly falling in love with a robot in I'm Your Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maria Schrader
film profile
]
, directed by Maria Schrader. “Her presence made us curious. Her charm made us empathic. And her palette of performing qualities allowed us to feel, laugh and ask questions,” went the statement.

The Encounters jury – Florence Almozini, Cecilia Barrionuevo and Diedrich Diederichsen – also chose their award winners, showing their affection for the documentary We [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Diop
film profile
]
by Alice Diop: “A work that shows true delicacy and sensitivity in crafting a collective, choral portrait that is rich in meanings, nuance and, above all, lived experience.” The Special Jury Award went to Taste [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Lê Bảo, with the Best Director title shared by Ramon Zürcher and Silvan Zürcher for The Girl and the Spider [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ramon Zürcher and Silvan Zü…
film profile
]
and Denis Côté for Social Hygiene. A Special Mention was bestowed upon Fern Silva for Rock Bottom Riser, “a tale about the loneliness of a very agitated rock: alone in the ocean, in the galaxies, in the universe”. Spare a thought.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Competition

Golden Bear
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Jude
film profile
]
- Radu Jude (Romania/Luxembourg/Croatia/Czech Republic)

Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy - Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan)

Silver Bear Jury Prize
Mr Bachmann and His Class [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Maria Speth (Germany)

Silver Bear for Best Director
Dénes Nagy - Natural Light [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dénes Nagy
film profile
]
(Hungary/Latvia/France/Germany)

Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance
Maren Eggert - I'm Your Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maria Schrader
film profile
]
(Germany)

Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance
Lilla Kizlinger - Forest – I See You Everywhere [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(Hungary)

Silver Bear for Best Screenplay
Hong Sangsoo - Introduction (South Korea)

Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution
Yibrán Asuad (editor) - A Cop Movie (Mexico)

Encounters

Best Film
We [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Diop
film profile
]
- Alice Diop (France)

Special Jury Award
Taste [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Lê Bảo (Vietnam/Singapore/France/Thailand/Germany/Taiwan)

Best Director (ex-aequo)
Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher - The Girl and the Spider [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ramon Zürcher and Silvan Zü…
film profile
]
(Switzerland)
Denis Côté - Social Hygiene (Canada)

Special Mention
Rock Bottom Riser - Fern Silva (USA)

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy