74th Berlin Film Festival Awards: Mati Diop’s ‘Dahomey’ Wins Golden Bear, Sebastian Stan and Emily Watson Take Acting Prizes

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Mati Diop’s documentary Dahomey, about 26 royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey about to leave Paris to return to their country of origin, the present-day Republic of Benin, has won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.

The doc, which takes place in November 2021, takes its name from the former West African kingdom of Dahomey, located in the south of today’s Republic of Benin. It was founded in the 17th century by King Houegbadja. Under his reign and that of his descendants — a three-century dynasty — the kingdom was a considerable regional power, with a highly structured local economy, a centralized administration, a system of taxes, and a powerful army, including the famous Amazon women (Agodjié). Dahomey is Diop’s first feature since 2019’s Atlantics, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes.

This year’s Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance went to Sebastian Stan for A Different Man while the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance went to Emily Watson for festival opener Small Things Like These. Berlin introduced gender-neutral acting awards in 2021. A Different Man will be released in the U.S. by A24.

In other top competition prizes, Hong Sangsoo was award the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize for A Traveler’s Needs, Bruno Dumont’s The Empire won the Silver Bear Jury Prize and the Silver Bear for Best Director went to Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias for Pepe. Matthias Glasner was the screenplay winner for Dying and for outstanding contribution the jury awarded Martin Gschlacht’ cinematography for The Devil’s Bath.

Earlier in the week, Martin Scorsese received the festival’s Honorary Golden Bear, presented by German filmmaker Wim Wenders, who described him as “the reigning king of cinema.”

Here is the complete list of winners of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.

COMPETITION

Golden Bear for Best Film: “Dahomey,” Mati Diop

Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize: “A Traveler’s Needs,” Hong Sangsoo

Silver Bear Jury Prize: “The Empire,” Bruno Dumont

Silver Bear for Best Director: “Pepe,” Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias

Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: “A Different Man,” Sebastian Stan

Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: “Small Things Like These,” Emily Watson

Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: “Dying,” Matthias Glasner

Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: “The Devil’s Bath,” Martin Gschlacht, cinematography

ENCOUNTERS

Best Film: “Direct Action,” Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell

Best Director: “Cidade; Campo,” Juliana Rojas

Special Jury Award: (ex aequo) “The Great Yawn of History,” Aliyar Rasti; “Some Rain Must Fall,” Qiu Yang

BERLINALE DOCUMENTARY AWARD

Best Documentary: “No Other Land,” Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor

Special Mention: “Direct Action,” Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell

GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE

Best First Feature: “Cu Li Never Cries,” Phạm Ngọc Lân

BERLINALE SHORTS

Golden Bear: “An Odd Turn,” Francisco Lezama

Silver Bear: “Remains of the Hot Day,” Wenqian Zhang

Special Mention: “That’s All From Me,” Eva Könnemann

PANORAMA AWARDS

Panorama Audience Award: “Memories of a Burning Body,” Antonella Sudasassi Furniss
Second Prize: “Crossing,” Levan Akin
Third Prize: “All Shall Be Well,” Ray Yeung

Panorama Documentary Audience Award: “No Other Land,” Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
Second Prize: “My Stolen Planet,” Farahnaz Sharifi
Third Prize: “Teaches of Peaches,” Philipp Fussenegger, Judy Landkammer

GENERATION AWARDS

Generation International Jury

Grand Prix for Best Film in Generation 14plus: “Who By Fire,” Philippe Lesage
Special Mention: “Maydegol,” Sarvnaz Alambeigi

Special Prize for Best Short Film in Generation 14plus: “A Bird Flew,” Leinad Pájaro De la Hoz
Special Mention: “Songs of Love and Hate,” Saurav Ghimire

Grand Prix for Best Film in Generation Kplus: “Reinas,” Klaudia Reynicke
Special Mention: “Through Rocks and Clouds,” Franco García Becerra

Special Prize for Best Short Film in Generation Kplus: “A Summer’s End Poem,” Lam Can-zhao
Special Mention: “Uli,” Mariana Gil Ríos

Youth Jury Generation 14plus

Crystal Bear for Best Film: “Last Swim,” Sasha Nathwani
Special Mention: “She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones,” Qu Youjia

Crystal Bear for Best Short Film: “Cura Sana,” Lucía G. Romero
Special Mention: “Lapso,” Caroline Cavalcanti

Children’s Jury Generation Kplus

Crystal Bear for Best Film: “It’s Okay!,” Kim Hye-young
Special Mention: “Young Hearts,” Anthony Schatteman

Crystal Bear for Best Short Film: “Butterfly,” Florence Miailhe
Special Mention: “Soukun,” Dina Naser

INDEPENDENT JURY PRIZES

Ecumenical Jury Prizes
Competition: “My Favorite Cake,” Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha
Panorama: “Sex,” Dag Johan Haugerud
Forum: “Maria’s Silence,” Dāvis Sīmanis
Special Mention: “Intercepted,” Oksana Karpovych

FIPRESCI Jury Prizes
Competition: “My Favorite Cake,” Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha
Encounters: “Sleep With Your Eyes Open,” Nele Wohlatz
Panorama: “Faruk,” Aslı Özge
Forum: “The Human Hibernation,” Anna Cornudella Castro

Teddy Awards
Best Feature Film: “All Shall Be Well,” Ray Yeung
Best Documentary/Essay Film: “Teaches of Peaches,” Philipp Fussenegger, Judy Landkammer
Best Short Film: “Grandmamauntsistercat,” Zuza Banasińska
Jury Award: “Crossing,” Levan Akin
Special Teddy Award: Lothar Lambert

CICAE Art Cinema Award
Panorama: “Sex,” Dag Johan Haugerud
Forum: “Shahid,” Narges Kalhor

Guild Film Prize: “Dying,” Matthias Glasner

Label Europa Cinemas: “Sex,” Dag Johan Haugerud

Caligari Film Prize: “Shahid,” Narges Kalhor

Peace Film Prize: “Favoriten,” Ruth Beckermann

Amnesty International Film Award: “The Strangers’ Case,” Brandt Andersen

Heiner Carow Prize: “Ivo,” Eva Trobisch

AG-Kino Gilde Cinema Vision 14Plus: “Last Swim,” Sasha Nathwani
Special Mention: “Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story,” Luck Razanajaona

OTHER PRIZES

Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Jury Award: “Dying,” Matthias Glasner

Tagesspiegel Readers’ Jury Award: “A Family,” Christine Angot

DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

Kompagnon Fellowship: “The Shore,” Vladimir Beck; “Traversée,” Tizian Stromp Zargari

Artekino International Award: “Ich bin Marika,” Hajni Kis

Eurimages Co-Production Development Award: “Screaming Girl,” Antonio Lukich

VFF Talent Highlight Award: “Silence Sometimes,” Álvaro Robles
Honorable Mentions: “Astana Internet Stars,” Assel Aushakimova; “More Than a Hug,” Liselotte Persson

Talents Footprints (Masterd Enablement Program): “Radioxity Stop Motion Animation Academy,” Esther Kemi Gbadamosi; “Return to the Source: Film Workshop & Residency Programme,” Perivi John Katjavivi
Alumni Projects: “UnderCurrent,” Shuchi Talati; “Sunshine Cinema,” Sydelle Willow Smith