70th Berlin Film Festival winners: Iranian ‘There Is No Evil,’ USA’s ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ and more

The winners of the Golden Bear, Silver Bear and more at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, headed by jury president Jeremy Irons, were handed out today.

Last year’s winners included Synonyms by Nadav Lapid (Golden Bear), By the Grace of God by François Ozon (Silver Bear) and Yong Mei for So Long, My Son (Best Actress).

There Is No Evil won the top prize, the Golden Bear. The German/Czech/Iranian co-production from Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof (who is banned in his own country), tells four stories that are variations on the crucial themes of moral strength and the death penalty that ask to what extent individual freedom can be expressed under a despotic regime and its seemingly inescapable threats.

Eliza Hittman’s urgent abortion drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always was given the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. In here acceptance speech Hittman remarked “Thank you to all those protecting the lives and rights of all people with uteruses – thank you for your service”

Elio Germano won the Silver Bear for Best Actor for Hidden Away, the first Italian to capture this prize since Gian Maria Volonté in 1987. Paula Beer was named Best Actress for Undine.

The Encounters jury – Shôzô Ichiyama, Dominga Sotomayor and Eva Trobisch – selected the 8-hour opus The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin) – C.W. Winter and Anders Edström as Best Film.

Follow below for the full list of winners updating as they are announced.

Competition

Golden Bear for Best Film
There Is No Evil – Mohammad Rasoulof (Germany/Czech Republic/Iran)

Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize
Never Rarely Sometimes Always – Eliza Hittman (USA)

Silver Bear – 70th Berlinale Prize
Delete History – Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern (France/Belgium)

Silver Bear for Best Director
Hong Sang-soo – The Woman Who Ran (South Korea)

Silver Bear for Best Actress
Paula Beer – Undine (Germany/France)

Silver Bear for Best Actor
Elio Germano – Hidden Away (Italy)

Silver Bear for Best Screenplay
Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo – Bad Tales (Italy/Switzerland)

Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution
Jürgen Jürges – DAU. Natasha (Germany/Ukraine/UK/Russia)

Encounters Section

Best Film
The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin) – C.W. Winter, Anders Edström (USA/Sweden/Japan/Hong Kong/UK)

Best Director
Malmkrog – Cristi Puiu (Romania/Serbia/Switzerland/Sweden/Bosnia/North Macedonia)
Special Mention
Isabella – Matías Piñeiro (Argentina/France)

Special Jury Award
The Trouble With Being Born – Sandra Wollner (Austria/Germany)

Best Documentary Award
Irradiated – Rithy Panh (France/Cambodia)
Special Mention
Notes from the Underworld – Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel (Austria)

GWFF Best First Feature Award
Los conductos – Camilo Restrepo (France/Colombia/Brazil)
Special Mention
Naked Animals – Melanie Waelde (Germany)

Berlinale Shorts

Golden Bear for Best Short Film
T – Keisha Rae Witherspoon (USA)

Silver Bear – Jury Prize for Short Film
Filipiñana – Rafael Manuel (Philippines/UK)

Audi Short Film Award
Genius Loci – Adrien Mérigeau (France)