The 62nd annual

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

was held from 9 to 19 February 2012. British film director

Mike Leigh Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design ...

was the President of the Jury. The first five films to be screened in the competition were announced on 19 December 2011. American actress

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

was presented with the

Honorary Golden Bear The Honorary Golden Bear (german: Goldener Ehrenbar) is the Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international fil ...

on 14 February. Benoît Jacquot's film '' Les adieux à la reine'' was announced as the opening film. The

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The winn ...

for Best Film went to the Italian film ''

Caesar Must Die ''Caesar Must Die'' ( it, Cesare deve morire) is a 2012 Italian drama film directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. The film competed at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Golden Bear. The film is set in Rebibbia Prison ...

'', directed by

Paolo and Vittorio Taviani Paolo Taviani (; born 8 November 1931) and Vittorio Taviani (; 20 September 1929 – 15 April 2018), collectively referred to as the Taviani brothers, were Italian film directors and screenwriters who collaborated on film productions. At the C ...

, which also served as closing night film.

Competition

Jury

The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival: International jury *

, director and screenwriter (United Kingdom) - Jury President * Anton Corbijn, photographer and director (Netherlands) *

Asghar Farhadi Asghar Farhadi ( fa, اصغر فرهادی, ; born 7 May 1972)Soureh Movie Database

, director, screenwriter and producer (Iran) *

Charlotte Gainsbourg Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British-French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French musician Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the song " Lemo ...

, actress (France) *

Jake Gyllenhaal Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal (; ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and his older sister is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He beg ...

, actor (United States) *

François Ozon François Ozon (; born 15 November 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter. Ozon is considered one of the most important modern French filmmakers. His films are characterized by aesthetic beauty, sharp satirical humor and a free-wheeli ...

, director and screenwriter (France) *

Boualem Sansal Boualem Sansal ( ar, بوعلام صنصال; born 15 October 1949) is an Algerian author. In 2012, he was named winner of the Prix du roman arabe, but the prize money was withdrawn due to Sansal's visit to Israel to speak at the Jerusalem Writ ...

, writer (Algeria) *

Barbara Sukowa Barbara Sukowa (; born 2 February 1950) is a German actress of screen and stage and singer. She has received three German Film Awards for Best Actress, three Bavarian Film Awards, Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, Venice Film Festival ...

, actress (Germany) Best First Feature Award Jury *

Matthew Modine Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker, who rose to prominence through his role as U.S. Marine Private/Sergeant J.T. "Joker" Davis in ''Full Metal Jacket''. His other film roles include the title character ...

, actor (United States) * Hania Mroué, producer and distributor (Lebanon) *

Moritz Rinke Moritz is the German equivalent of the name Maurice. It may refer to: People Given name * Saint Maurice, also called Saint Moritz, the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century * Prince Moritz of Hesse (2007), the son of ...

, journalist and writer (Germany) International Short Film Jury *

Sandra Hüller Sandra Hüller (; born 30 April 1978) is a German actress. She gained critical praise for her portrait of Anneliese Michel in Hans-Christian Schmid's drama ''Requiem'' (2006), and is best known internationally for her starring role in Maren Ad ...

, actress (Germany) *

Emily Jacir Emily Jacir ( ar, املي جاسر) is a Palestinian artist and filmmaker. Biography Jacir was born in Bethlehem in 1973, Jacir spent her childhood in Saudi Arabia, attending high school in Italy. She attended the University of Dallas, Memp ...

, artist and producer (Palestine) * David O'Reilly, director, screenwriter and producer (Ireland)

In competition

The following films were in competition for the

and Silver Bear awards:

Out of competition

Panorama

Key

Awards

The following prizes were awarded by the International Jury:

for Best Film: ''

'' by

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' described the outcome as "a major upset". ''

Der Spiegel ''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...

'' said it was a "very conservative selection." ''

Der Tagesspiegel ''Der Tagesspiegel'' (meaning ''The Daily Mirror'') is a German daily newspaper. It has regional correspondent offices in Washington D.C. and Potsdam. It is the only major newspaper in the capital to have increased its circulation, now 148,000, s ...

'' criticised the outcome, "The jury shunned almost all the contemporary films that were admired or hotly debated at an otherwise pretty remarkable festival." Paolo Taviani said "We hope that when the film is released to the general public that cinemagoers will say to themselves or even those around them... that even a prisoner with a dreadful sentence, even a life sentence, is and remains a human being". Vittorio Taviani read out the names of the cast. Silver Bears *

Jury Grand Prix The Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (also Jury Grand Prix, Grand Prize of the Jury) is an award given by the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival to one of the feature films in competition. It is the runner-up to the Golden Bear prize a ...

: '' Just the Wind'' by

Benedek Fliegauf Benedek "Bence" Fliegauf (born 15 August 1974 in Budapest) is a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. Life and career Originally Fliegauf planned to become a writer. However, he had to abandon his plans due to a lack of finances. Instead, Fl ...

Silver Bear for Best Director The Silver Bear for Best Director (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Regie) is an award presented annually at the Berlin International Film Festival since 1956. It is given for the best achievement in directing and is chosen by the International Jury ...

: Christian Petzold for '' Barbara'' *

Silver Bear for Best Actress The Silver Bear for Best Actress (german: Silberner Bär/Beste Darstellerin) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chos ...

: Rachel Mwanza for ''

War Witch ''War Witch'' (french: Rebelle) is a 2012 Canadian dramatic war film written and directed by Kim Nguyen and starring Rachel Mwanza, Alain Lino Mic Eli Bastien and Serge Kanyinda. It is about a child soldier forced into a civil war in Africa, an ...

'' *

Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Darsteller) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chosen by ...

: Mikkel Følsgaard for ''

A Royal Affair ''A Royal Affair'' ( da, En kongelig affære) is a 2012 drama film directed by Nikolaj Arcel, starring Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander and Mikkel Følsgaard. The story is set in the 18th century, at the court of the mentally ill King Christian VI ...

'' *

Silver Bear The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

for Outstanding Artistic Contribution: Lutz Reitemeier for the photography in '' White Deer Plain'' *

Silver Bear for Best Script The Silver Bear for Best Screenplay (german: Silberner Bär/Bestes Drehbuch) is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in Screenwriting. Winners See also * Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay References Ex ...

: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg for ''

'' *

Alfred Bauer Prize The Alfred Bauer Prize was an annual film award, presented by the Berlin International Film Festival, as part of its Silver Bear series of awards, to a film that "opens new perspectives on cinematic art". The prize was suspended in 2020 after it w ...

for a work of particular innovation: ''

Tabu Tabu may refer to: Cultural and legal concepts *Taboo (spelled ''tabu'' in earlier historical records), something that is unacceptable in society *Tapu (Polynesian culture) (also spelled ''tabu''), a Polynesian cultural concept from which the wor ...

'' by Miguel Gomes * Special Award – Silver Bear: ''

Sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

'' by

Ursula Meier Ursula Meier (born 24 June 1971) is a France, French-Switzerland, Swiss film director and screenwriter. Career A native of Besançon, the capital of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, near the Swiss border, Ursula Meier graduated from ...

Crystal Bears * Generation Kplus (Feature Length Film): ''

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

'' by

Olivia Silver Olivia may refer to: People * Olivia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Olivia (singer) (Olivia Longott, born 1981), American singer * Olívia (basketball) (Carlos Henrique Rodrigues do Nascimento, born 197 ...

* Generation 14plus (Feature Length Film): ''Night of Silence'' by Reis Çelik

FIPRESCI The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...

Prizes *Competition: ''

'' by Miguel Gomes *Panorama: ''Atomic Age'' by Héléna Klotz *Forum: ''Hemel'' by

Sacha Polak Sacha Polak (born 1982) is a Dutch film director. Career In 2012 Polak's feature film debut ''Hemel'' played at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival. Additionally her short ''Brother'' and her step-mother Meral Uslu's film on which she wa ...

Golden Bear for Best Short Film: ''Rafa'' by

João Salaviza João Salaviza (born João Salaviza Manso Feldman da Silva; 19 February 1984) is a Portuguese film director, screenwriter, editor, producer, and former actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including the Short Film Golden Bear, the ...

References

External links

Yearbook 2012 at berlinale.de

62nd Berlin International Film Festival 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berlin International Film Festival, 62nd 62 2012 film festivals 2012 festivals in Europe 2012 in Berlin Berl