"Touch Me Not," an experimental movie about intimacy from Romanian director Adina Pintilie, won the top Golden Bear prize at the Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday.
The movie, which follows the story of a woman who can't bear to be touched and various other people searching for intimacy, was chosen from a field of 19 competitors at the first of the year's major European movie festivals. The Berlin jury was led by German director Tom Tykwer.
"We were not expecting that," Pintilie said. "We would like that the dialogue 'Touch Me Not' proposes opens to the world, so we invite you, the viewer, to dialogue."
American Wes Anderson was named best director Saturday for his animated movie "Isle of Dogs," a journey that begins with a city's dogs being exiled to a vast garbage dump and features the voices of Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum and Scarlett Johansson, among others.
Anderson couldn't be in Berlin on Saturday so Murray collected the award.
"I never thought that I would go to work as a dog and come home with a bear," he said.
The best actor award went to Anthony Bajon for his role in French director Cedric Khan's "The Prayer" and the best actress prize to Ana Brun for her part in Marcelo Martinessi's "The Heiresses," from Paraguay.
The jury grand prize award went to Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska's "Mug" while "The Heiresses" also picked up a prize for a film that opens up new perspectives.
Mexican entry "Museum" picked up the best screenplay prize for Manuel Alcala and Alonso Ruizpalacios. The award for an outstanding artistic contribution went to Elena Okopnaya for the costume and production design in the Russian film "Dovlatov."
Here’s a rundown of Berlin International Film Festival winners:
PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY
Members of the Jury: Tom Tykwer (Jury President), Cécile de France, Chema Prado, Adele Romanski, Ryūichi Sakamoto and Stephanie Zacharek
GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST FILM (awarded to the film’s producer)
Touch Me Not
by Adina Pintilie
SILVER BEAR GRAND JURY PRIZE
Twarz (Mug)
by Małgorzata Szumowska
SILVER BEAR ALFRED BAUER PRIZE for a feature film that opens new perspectives
Las herederas (The Heiresses)
by Marcelo Martinessi
SILVER BEAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson for Isle of Dogs (Isle of Dogs — Ataris Reise)
SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTRESS
Ana Brun in Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo Martinessi
SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTOR
Anthony Bajon in La prière (The Prayer) by Cédric Kahn
SILVER BEAR FOR BEST SCREENPLAY
Manuel Alcalá and Alonso Ruizpalacios for Museo (Museum) by Alonso Ruizpalacios
SILVER BEAR FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION
Elena Okopnaya for costume and production design in Dovlatov by Alexey German Jr.
GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD
Members of the Jury: Jonas Carpignano, Călin Peter Netzer and Noa Regev
GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD endowed with € 50,000, funded by GWFF
Touch Me Not
by Adina Pintilie
SPECIAL MENTION
An Elephant Sitting Still
by Hu Bo
GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL — DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Members of the Jury: Cíntia Gil, Ulrike Ottinger and Eric Schlosser
GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL — DOCUMENTARY AWARD endowed with € 50,000, funded by Glashütte Original
Waldheims Walzer (The Waldheim Waltz)
by Ruth Beckermann
PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM JURY
Members of the Jury: Diogo Costa Amarante, Jyoti Mistry and Mark Toscano
GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM
The Men Behind the Wall
by Ines Moldavsky
SILVER BEAR JURY PRIZE (SHORT FILM)
Imfura
by Samuel Ishimwe
AUDI SHORT FILM AWARD endowed with € 20,000, enabled by Audi
Solar Walk
by Réka Bucsi
BERLIN SHORT FILM NOMINEE FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS
Burkina Brandenburg Komplex
by Ulu Braun
