Bosnian film Grbavica wins Berlin festival's top award

Feb 18, 2006, 19:40 GMT

Berlin - Grbavica by Bosnian director Jasmila Zbanic has won the Berlin Film Festival's coveted Golden Bear for best film.

The film, about the agony of women raped as part of ethnic cleansing, was chosen by an eight-member international jury headed by internationally renowned British actress Charlotte Rampling. A total of 19 films were competing for the festival's top honours this year.

'I am dreaming this,' said 31-year-old Zbanic, whose movie was her debut feature film. Grbavica is the first ever movie from Bosnia- Herzegovina to be competing at one of the world's most prestigious film festivals.

The jury awarded a Silver Bear to both Danish director Pernille Fischer Christensen's En Soap and Iranian director Jafar Panahi for Offside. Now in its 56th year, the Berlinale is one of the world's top three film festivals.

Christensen also won the First Feature Award for the best directorial debut screened during the 10-day festival. It was the first time that the Berlinale has presented a new award.

Speaking prior to the announcement of the awards, Rampling said that the jury believed its decisions 'reflect the mood of the world today.'

This year's Silver Bear for best director went to both British directors Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross their powerful movie on the US military camp in The Road to Guantanamo.

Germany's Sandra Hueller received a Silver Bear for Best Actress for playing Michaela in Requiem, with leading German actor Moritz Bleibtreu awarded a Silver Bear for Best Actor for his role in Elementarteilchen (The Elementary Particles).

Another prominent German actor Juergen Vogel was awarded a Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Achievement for his role in Der Freie Wille (Free Will). He was also produced and co-wrote the film.

The Silver Bear for Best Film Music went to Isabella from Hong Kong director Pan Ho-Cheung. Set in the former Portuguese colony of Macau, Isabella features the traditional fado music of Portugal.

In addition, the international jury, with US producer Fred Roos, Korean actress Lee Young Ae and legendary Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra, awarded the Alfred Bauer Prize to El Custodio by Argentinian director Rodrigo Moreno.

Named after the founder of the Berlin Film Festival, the prize is awarded to a feature film that opens up new perspectives in cinema.