In Germany, a South African film has won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival. Two Chinese films also took awards.
Adapted from Bizet's famous Carmen, South Africa's U-Carmen eKhayelitsha sets the opera in a township and boldly translates it into Xhosa, an indigenous "click" language. Its victory underlines a renaissance of African films and African themes in cinema.
The Chinese film Peacock picked up the Silver Bear "Grand Prix" award. The more than two-hour movie marks the directing debut of well-known Chinese cinematographer Gu Changwei. The story, for which Gu used all new faces, is about an ordinary family in rural China in the late 1970s to early 1980s.
The Wayward Cloud from Taiwan director Tsai Ming-liang was given the Alfred Bauer Award. This award is for a movie which opens new perspectives in film art and The Wayward Cloud is certainly regarded as Tsai's bravest and most controversial work so far,
German actress Julia Jentsch was voted best actress for her portrayal of Sophie Scholl, a real-life heroine of the German resistance during World War Two. And Sophie Scholl--the Final Days scooped another award when the Silver Bear for best director went to Marc Rothemund.
The best actor Silver Bear went to Thumbsucker star Lou Taylor Pucci who played alongside Hollywood star Keanu Reeves.
(CCTV.com February 20, 2005)
