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| Nader And Simin takes Golden Bear |
Asghar Farhadi's Nader And Simin, A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) has won the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
The Iranian film, which traces a marriage falling apart at the seams, exploring religious and social fallout, also saw the entire male and female cast - Farhadi Sarina, Bayat Sareh, Hatami Leila, Peyman Moaadi and others - win Silver Bear for best acting. Farhadi previously won the Silver Bear for directing About Elly.
Accepting the award, Farhadi paid tribute to fellow Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi, who was invited to sit on the Berlinale jury but was unable to attend due to being sentenced to six years in jail, accused of inciting opposition protests and making a film withought permission. He is currently banned from making movies or travelling abroad for 20 years.
Farhadi said: "I want to remind you of Jafar Panahi. I really think his problem will be solved, and I hope he will be the one standing here next year."
The Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear went to Hungarian helmer Béla Tarr for The Turin Horse (A Torinói ló) - a two-and-half-hour story about the bleak lives of an elderly farmer and his dutiful daughter.
Sleeping Sickness (Schlafkrankheit) - about the lives of European aid workers in Africa - won the best direction Silver bear for German Ulrich Koehloer.
Argentinean director Paula Markovitch’s movie El Premio (The Prize) about a young girl growing up under the military rule in Argentina won two Silver Bears for artistic achievement and production design.
The jury - which included Isabella Rossellini, Nina Hoss and Guy Maddin - also awarded US director Joshua Marston and Albanian scriptwriter Adnamion Murataj the Silver Bear for scriptwriting for Albanian blood feud tale The Forgiveness Of Blood.
The Alfred Bauer prize for new perspectives in cinema was awarded to German director Andres Veiel’s Wer Wenn Nicht Wir (If Not Us, Who), which traced the origins of 1960s violent left-wing politics in Germany.
The best first feature award went to Alaskan-born Andrew Okpeaha Macleanfor On The Ice - a story of dark secrets in an Alaskan town.
