Two science fiction films win several awards at the German Film Prize. Director Maria Schrader answers via video message from the USA. And Senta Berger thanks her husband.
Berlin – For Germany, the film is to enter the race for the Oscar in 2022, now the tragic comedy “Ich bin dein Mensch” has also won the German Film Prize. At the award ceremony in Berlin, the production received four awards, including the Golden Lola for the best feature film.
In love with a robot?
Director Maria Schrader asks whether we could fall in love with a robot. Schrader was tuned in on a video screen on Friday evening. The 56-year-old, also known as an actress, is currently filming a book about the #MeToo scandal in the USA. “Oh man, I’m really touched now,” said Schrader with headphones in his ear when her film received an award for directing as well as the script.
Actress Maren Eggert also won a Lola for best female lead. In the film, she plays a scientist who tests a humanoid robot as a partner. In an expert opinion, she should help decide whether computer beings should be able to get married, for example. “Guys, thank you very much,” said Eggert, who appeared with white trousers and a tulle top. The evening turned into a celebration for the cinema.
1200 guests
Film theaters had closed for months – and after a year and a half of the pandemic, the film prize was awarded again in front of a large audience for the first time. Around 1200 people were invited, including the actresses Iris Berben and Heike Makatsch. Everyone should go to the corona test beforehand. The German Film Prize is the most important national award in the industry.
Not only Schrader’s film tells of an idea from the future. A second science fiction film also received four prizes – “Tides” by Tim Fehlbaum was awarded for the production design and visual effects. The more than 2000 members of the German Film Academy voted on many award winners. The best leading actor was Oliver Masucci for “Enfant terrible”. In it he plays the director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Can Dündar gives laudatory speech
Two literary adaptations had received a particularly large number of nominations in advance. Dominik Graf’s “Fabian or The Walk to the Dogs” ultimately won a silver film award and was awarded for camera and editing, Philip Stölzl’s “Schachnovelle” for the costumes. The prize for the best documentary went to “Mr. Bachmann and his class”. The laudation was given by the Turkish journalist Can Dündar, who lives in German exile and received a lot of applause. The best children’s film was “Die Vern der Welt”.
There was a special moment for actress Senta Berger. The 80-year-old received an honorary award for outstanding services to German film. “For us you are a lioness,” said actor Klaus Maria Brandauer. Her son Simon Verhoeven, whose film “Nightlife” received the award for the most popular film, also found loving words for his mother. Senta Berger thanked her husband, the director Michael Verhoeven: “I wouldn’t be where I am today without this emancipated man.”
“Cinema is great”
Moderator Daniel Donskoy led through the evening, in one scene thought about gender roles in a dress and sang “Kino ist cool”. Everyone should go to the cinema, said actor Elyas M’Barek on the red carpet. And director Doris Dörrie said in the conversation that a good film must move her. “I want to get out of the cinema more alive than I went in.”
There had also been discussions in the film industry during the pandemic. Several people from the acting scene had commented on the handling of the corona virus in the spring during the video campaign #allesdichtmachen, sometimes satirically. Another campaign with the keyword #allesaufdentisch was put online on Thursday. Quite a few did not comment on this at the film award.
Matthes wants more solidarity
At the award ceremony, academy boss Ulrich Matthes called for more willingness to talk and solidarity in the film industry and in society. He used a “James Bond” allusion. After this pandemic, they were all “shaken and touched,” said Matthes. “Some more, some less. This pandemic has hit some of us in an existentially threatening way. “
The film prizes are associated with a total of around three million euros for new projects, the money comes from the house of Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters (CDU). She really wants to see the new “James Bond” film, as she said before the award ceremony. “I can’t wait.” Last year, the drama “Systemsprenger” won the Golden Lola. So now the finely told film “I am your person” – in December it will be decided whether he will take the next step in the race for the Oscar. dpa
