Italian cinema returns to win at the Berlin festival. At the 70th edition, which closed today on Saturday 29 February, the jury chaired by Jeremy irons awarded the D'Innocenzo brothers for Favolacce, the silver bear for the screenplay and Elio Germano, the silver bear for best actor, who he became the painter Ligabue for the film by Giorgio Rights. I wanted to hide. Germano is also in the cast of Favolacce.
The golden bear went to the film There Is No Evil by the Iranian Mohammad Rasoulof. "We are delighted, but unfortunately it is very sad that Mohammad could not be here tonight," said the one who withdrew the Berlinale 2020 golden bear in place of the Iranian director, stressing that the director "was not allowed to leave the country". Many tears in the Berlinale audience, among the members of the film's cast: "Mohammad you are not alone", was shouted at him from the Berlinale gala stage.
The film, presented as the last of those in the competition and so powerful as to have immediately spoiled the predictions, will be distributed in Italy by Satin. Inside four stories full of poetry complete with 'Bella ciao' sung in Italian to make it clear that this film knows where it wants to go. The theme? The death penalty, repression, guilt and the ability to take sides.
"A great day for Italian cinema. Proud of the silver bear to Elio Germano for I wanted to hide by Giorgio Rights dedicated to the painter Ligabue and for the best screenplay in Favolacce by Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo". It is the applause of the minister of culture Dario Franceschini, who underlines: "these two prestigious awards confirm the quality, vitality and modernity of Italian cinema, capable of telling the world universal stories with elegance and originality". For Rutelli, president Anica, "is a golden moment for Italian cinema, its creative and productive quality". Paolo Del Brocco, CEO of Rai Cinema who co-produced both films, was also happy. "The Silver Bear to the D'Innocenzo brothers rewards their ability to courageously handle an original and very personal narrative form, experimenting their idea of cinema with passion". Del Brocco talks about a new generation of authors, which Rai Cinema contributes to discovering and making grow, a constant support work that we carry out also thanks to independent producers ", such as Pepito Produzioni by Giuseppe Saccà for Favolacce and Palomar for I Wanted to Hide. Once again recognized the great talent of Elio Germano in this new work of interpretation "with an extraordinary ability to descend into the depth of the character, in his suffering and in his artistic inspiration".