Meanwhile, French film 'By the Grace of God' wins the Silver Bear prize, and German filmmaker Angela Schanelec is hailed Best Director for her work in 'I Was at Home, But'.
- February 18, 2019
AceShowbiz - Israeli drama "Synonyms" has won the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Directed by Nadav Lapid, the film follows the journey of a young Israeli man in Paris who has turned his back on his native country.
Accepting the award, the writer and filmmaker, who was born in Tel Aviv, acknowledged his movie would likely be considered "scandalous" in Israel and France, but added that his project was "ultimately a celebration".
The Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize went to Francois Ozon's French drama, "By the Grace of God" – a fact-based account of the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal behind the ongoing trial of the Archbishop of Lyon, Philippe Barbarin – while German filmmaker Angela Schanelec scooped best director for her drama about a troubled family, "I Was at Home, But".
The six-person festival jury, headed by French actress Juliette Binoche, awarded the best actor and actress "Silver Bears" to Wang Jingchun and Yong Mei, respectively – the stars of Wang Xiaoshuai's Chinese drama "So Long, My Son".
