Fuocoammare wins Golden Bear

Italian refugee documentary takes top prize in Berlin

by Jennie Kermode

Fuocoammare
Fuocoammare

Italian documentary Fuocoammare (Fire At Sea) has won the Golden Bear at this year's Berlinale. The film follows the struggle of refugees trying to reach safety on the island of Lampedusa. Director Gianfranco Rosi, who hails from Eritrea like many of the refugees themselves, said his deepest concern was for those who never made it across the sea.

The Silver Bear award went to Mia Hansen-Løve for L'Avenir, which is also showing at the Glasgow Film Festival. The prize for best Actor went to Majd Mastoura for Inhebbek Hedi, a Tunisian tale set in the aftermath of the Arab Spring demonstrations, while Best Actress went to Trine Dyrholm for Thomas Vinterberg's Kollektivet, a drama about life in a 1970s Danish commune.

The winners were selected by the International Jury, headed by Meryl Streep.

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