64th Berlin International Film Festival

06.02.2014 to 16.02.2014
Berlin

With nearly half a million admissions the Berlinale 2014 again proved to be one of the biggest festival for film audiences. The Golden Bear went to  "Bai Ri Yan Huo" (Black Coal, Thin Ice) by Diao Yinan, one of four Chinese competition entries. The Ecumenical Jury awarded its Prize in the competition to "Kreuzweg" (Stations of the Cross) by Dietrich Brüggemann, Germany, which also won a Silver Bear for Best Screenplay.

(c) Ekko von Schwichow
The members of the Ecumenical Jury, from left: Christoph Strack, Gabriella Lettini, Dirk von Jutrczenka (front), Thomas Schüpbach, Karel Deburchgrave, Antonio Urrata (back)

Awards of the Ecumenical Jury

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Berlin 2014 (International Competition)
Kreuzweg
Stations of the Cross
Kreuzweg
Directed by:
Dietrich Brüggemann
Germany
2014

Kreuzweg (Stations of the Cross)
14 year-old Maria grows up in a fundamental Catholic community and tries to understand what it means to give one’s life to God. The 14 chapters modeled on the Stations of the Cross are coherently filmed in a tableau-style with hardly any camera-movements or music. They portray the destructive aspects of any fundamentalism but also lead us to reflect about the meaning of compassionate faith.
Commendation of the Ecumenical Jury, Berlin 2014 (International Competition)
'71
Directed by:
Yann Demange
Great Britain
2014

'71
An ordinary British soldier lost in the apocalyptic inferno of Belfast is desperately trying to find his way back to his unit. Will he find any Good Samaritans among Protestant Loyalists or Catholic Nationalists to help him in this desperate situation? Though it is set in a specific historical context, this story has a universal relevance as it denounces the senselessness of violence.
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Berlin 2014 (Panorama)
Calvary
Directed by:
John Michael McDonagh
Great Britain, Ireland
2014

Calvary
An Irish-Catholic priest learns during a confession that he has only one more week to live before he will be killed. Will his moral integrity lead him to bear the sins of his church? Various serious topics are often dealt with in a dark humorous way. Brendan Gleeson’s memorable performance will become a classic in the canon of movie-priests.
Commendation of the Ecumenical Jury, Berlin 2014 (Panorama)
Tryptique
Directed by:
Robert Lepage, Pedro Pires
Canada
2013

Tryptique
Do changes in our brains alter our souls? The film explores this question with three different narratives about what and how we hear and understand. This highly cinematographic meditation offers thought-provoking observations about music, religion, medical science and our auditive senses.
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Berlin 2014 (Forum)
Sto spiti
At Home
Directed by:
Atanasios Karanikolas
Greece, Germany
2014

Sto spiti (At Home)
Nadja, a Georgian migrant woman, works without any benefits as a housekeeper for an upperclass Greek family. For years she has lived as a part of the family – but suddenly she is diagnosed with a serious illness just as the father of the family runs into some financial difficulties. The film highlights the inherent dignity of a woman at the margins of society.

Jury

The Ecumenical Jury at the 64th Berlinale, appointed by INTERFILM and SIGNIS, gives awards in the Competition, the Forum and the Panorama. The Forum and the Panorama Prize carry a prize money of € 2500 each, donated by the Catholic Film Work in Germany and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).

President
Dirk von Jutrczenka
Pastor, Head of forum Kirche Bremen and Department of Religious Education and Media
Germany

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