Israeli films win audience prizes in Berlin

Feb 18, 2006, 19:49 GMT

Berlin - Two Israeli movies have won top honours from cinema-goers in one of the main sections of the Berlin Film Festival, Berlinale organisers announced Saturday.

Israeli-born director Tomer Heymann's 'Bubot Niyar' (Paper Dolls) a story about a group of Philippine transsexuals helping to care for the elderly, won the Panorama Audience Award 2006.

One night a week the care workers become the 'Paper Dolls', a drag show act in Tel Aviv. The film also received the reader's award from German gay magazine 'Siegessaeule.'

The Berlin Film Festival's Panorama section is essentially aimed at showcasing more arthouse-style movies by new emerging directors. The ten-day Berlinale draws to a close Sunday.

Coming in second place in the Panorama audience prize was 'Estrellas de la linea' (The Railroad All-Stars) by Spanish director Jose Maria Rodriguez. It depicts a football team in Guatemala formed by local prostitutes whose beat is near a railway line.

Irish-born director Neil Jordan's 'Breakfast on Pluto' was voted in third place by the Panorama audience. Jordan's previous films included 'The Crying Game' and 'Interview with a Vampire'.

In 'Breakfast on Pluto', Jordan tells the story of Patrick 'Kitten' Braden, a transvestite who was forced to leave socially conservative Ireland to move to London in the hope of finding a more tolerant world to live in.

This year's Panorama programme included 37 feature films and 14 documentaries from 34 nations.

For the last two years, movie-goers have also been asked to cast their ballots for their favourite short film in the Panorama section.

Out of 23 short films, the audience this year chose 'Hayelet Bodeda' (The Substitute) by Tel Aviv-born Talya Lavie.

Her 19-minute movie revolves around a soldier called Zohara who is sent to a remote military outpost.

The Berlin Film Festival also includes a gay movie festival with Philipppine director Auraeus Solito's 'Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros', winning the Teddy Award for best gay-themed movie.

Solito's movie tells the tale of a 12 year-old-boy in Manila dreaming of a better life.