15/2/2015 - The winners of the International Jury Awards at the 65th Berlinale

The 65th Berlin International Film Festival comes to a close today. The winners were announced last night. This year's international jury was presided by Darren Aronofsky, and included Daniel Brühl, Bong Joon-ho, Martha De Laurentiis, Claudia Llosa, Audrey Tautou and Matthew Weiner.

 

This year's Golden Bear winning film was Taxi, by Jafar Panahi. A film in which Panahi himself converses with random people on a Taxi in Iran, hence shooting a naturalistic and authentic depiction of its setting cultural and socio-political situation. 

 

The filmmaker, banned from filmmaking and travelling outside his country of Iran, was represented by his family. It was a touching moment for everyone present when festival director Dieter Kosslick and president of the jury Darren Aronofsky pointed out to an empty seat in the jury, which also symbolised the 2011 incident when the same Panahi was not able to attend as jury member. The award was accepted on his behalf by his little niece Hanna Saidi.