The Berlin film festival on Saturday awarded its Golden Bear top prize to a documentary by French director Nicolas Philibert and its best acting award to an eight-year-old girl in what jury chief Kristen Stewart described as a "boundary-pushing" event.

"On the Adamant", coming more than 20 years after Philibert's acclaimed education documentary To Be and To Have, is about a floating day-care centre for people with psychiatric problems on the Seine in Paris.

Thanking the jury, Philibert, 72, said "that documentary can be considered to be cinema in its own right touches me deeply".

On a night full of surprises, the festival's gender-neutral acting prize was awarded to an eight-year-old, Spain's Sofia Otero.

The young actress won the prize for playing a transgender child in 20,000 Species of Bees, the feature debut from Spanish director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren.&nbsp;

Critics have lavished praise on the film. Screen Daily, for one, predicted that "arthouse audiences worldwide should respond to the pathos, breadth and humanity of a film that takes a while to build but, when it does, never loses its grip".

Otero, who fought back tears when collecting the award, later told journalists she was "very grateful, very happy".

'Invisible parameters' -

Stewart, at 32 the youngest president in the festival's history, said the jury had been asking themselves all week "what makes a movie a movie".

They had set aside "invisible parameters" in awarding the Golden Bear, she said, because "when you focus too much on what something is you tend to lose track of what it does.

"This is a boundary-pushing festival and so it offers us the opportunity to be expansive in how we define those things, how we value works of art, how we categorise them," she said.

There was more success for France as Philippe Garrel, 74, won the Silver Bear for best director for The Plough, a drama about three siblings from a family of puppeteers coping with the death of their father.

Garrel dedicated the prize to his children and to French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard, "a great master for many of us", who died last September.

Second prize went to "Afire" from German director Christian Petzold, about a group of friends whose holiday retreat to the Baltic coast goes horribly wrong.

Variety called it "wincingly well-observed and acidly funny", while the Hollywood Reporter said it was "a deceptively simple and straightforward but emotionally layered film".

Coming in third was "Bad Living" by Portugal's Joao Canijo, about several female members of the same family who run a dilapidated hotel and are also struggling with their relationships to one another.&nbsp;

- Star power -

"On the Adamant" offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of adults and their carers in the Parisian day-care centre, which puts an accent on offering them a creative outlet.

The film is "an attempt to overturn the image we have" of people with psychiatric problems, Philibert said.&nbsp;

"The cliches are deep-rooted. The film tries to unravel them (but) there is a long way to go."

The Hollywood Reporter praised the film's "warmth and enthusiasm", calling it "a portrait of several individuals who, despite their noticeable disabilities, are capable of producing original and moving works of art".

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated both Philibert and his subjects on the win, calling the film a "story of humanity and commitment".

Documentaries are regularly selected in major international film competitions, but rarely win awards.

Last year, the Venice Film Festival awarded its Golden Lion to a documentary about the opiate crisis in the United States by Laura Poitras (All The Beauty And The Bloodshed).

After two years of a reduced format due to pandemic restrictions, the 11-day Berlinale got back in full swing this year, with A-listers such as Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren and Steven Spielberg walking the red carpet.

The festival, which ranks alongside Cannes and Venice as one of Europe's top cinema showcases, also marked the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and highlighted anti-government protests in Iran with new feature films and documentaries.

There were 19 films from around the world vying for this year's Golden Bear, which was awarded at a gala ceremony by a jury led by Stewart.

&nbsp;

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The Berlin film festival on Saturday awarded its Golden Bear top prize to a documentary by French director Nicolas Philibert and its best acting award to an eight-year-old girl in what jury chief Kristen Stewart described as a "boundary-pushing" event.

The Berlin film festival on Saturday awarded its Golden Bear top prize to a documentary by French director Nicolas Philibert and its best acting award to an eight-year-old girl in what jury chief Kristen Stewart described as a "boundary-pushing" event. "On the Adamant", coming more than 20 years after Philibert's acclaimed education documentary To Be and To Have, is about a floating day-care centre for people with psychiatric problems on the Seine in Paris. Thanking the jury, Philibert, 72, said "that documentary can be considered to be cinema in its own right touches me deeply". On a night full of surprises, the festival's gender-neutral acting prize was awarded to an eight-year-old, Spain's Sofia Otero. The young actress won the prize for playing a transgender child in 20,000 Species of Bees, the feature debut from Spanish director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. Critics have lavished praise on the film. Screen Daily, for one, predicted that "arthouse audiences worldwide should respond to the pathos, breadth and humanity of a film that takes a while to build but, when it does, never loses its grip". Otero, who fought back tears when collecting the award, later told journalists she was "very grateful, very happy". 'Invisible parameters' - Stewart, at 32 the youngest president in the festival's history, said the jury had been asking themselves all week "what makes a movie a movie". They had set aside "invisible parameters" in awarding the Golden Bear, she said, because "when you focus too much on what something is you tend to lose track of what it does. "This is a boundary-pushing festival and so it offers us the opportunity to be expansive in how we define those things, how we value works of art, how we categorise them," she said. There was more success for France as Philippe Garrel, 74, won the Silver Bear for best director for The Plough, a drama about three siblings from a family of puppeteers coping with the death of their father. Garrel dedicated the prize to his children and to French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard, "a great master for many of us", who died last September. Second prize went to "Afire" from German director Christian Petzold, about a group of friends whose holiday retreat to the Baltic coast goes horribly wrong. Variety called it "wincingly well-observed and acidly funny", while the Hollywood Reporter said it was "a deceptively simple and straightforward but emotionally layered film". Coming in third was "Bad Living" by Portugal's Joao Canijo, about several female members of the same family who run a dilapidated hotel and are also struggling with their relationships to one another. - Star power - "On the Adamant" offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of adults and their carers in the Parisian day-care centre, which puts an accent on offering them a creative outlet. The film is "an attempt to overturn the image we have" of people with psychiatric problems, Philibert said. "The cliches are deep-rooted. The film tries to unravel them (but) there is a long way to go." The Hollywood Reporter praised the film's "warmth and enthusiasm", calling it "a portrait of several individuals who, despite their noticeable disabilities, are capable of producing original and moving works of art". French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated both Philibert and his subjects on the win, calling the film a "story of humanity and commitment". Documentaries are regularly selected in major international film competitions, but rarely win awards. Last year, the Venice Film Festival awarded its Golden Lion to a documentary about the opiate crisis in the United States by Laura Poitras (All The Beauty And The Bloodshed). After two years of a reduced format due to pandemic restrictions, the 11-day Berlinale got back in full swing this year, with A-listers such as Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren and Steven Spielberg walking the red carpet. The festival, which ranks alongside Cannes and Venice as one of Europe's top cinema showcases, also marked the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and highlighted anti-government protests in Iran with new feature films and documentaries. There were 19 films from around the world vying for this year's Golden Bear, which was awarded at a gala ceremony by a jury led by Stewart. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Berlin film festival: Spain’s eight-year-old girl, Sofia Otero wins best acting award

Director Steven Spielberg, picking up a lifetime achievement award at the Berlin Film Festival, said the prospect of making new films continued to excite him at 76, and unveiled new details of his planned HBO series. The director, whose credits include some of the biggest-grossing and best-loved works in cinema history, including Jurassic Park, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jaws, has just finished two films back to back: the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans and West Side Story, a film of the classic Broadway musical. "Whatever seized me as a little kid is the same feeling I retained all those decades later," he told reporters on Tuesday.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-the-fabelmans-review-steven-spielbergs-ode-to-cinema-is-his-career-best-560590">The Fabelmans review: Steven Spielberg's ode to cinema is his career's best</a>

"When I find a book or a script or come up with an original idea that I think would make a good movie: that excitement ... supersedes everything," he added.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/five-great-superhero-movies-that-are-not-dc-or-marvel-510918/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Spielberg, professing he "loves to work and needs to work", is finalising a script left unfinished by his friend Stanley Kubrick at the time of his death in 1999.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-steven-spielberg-would-love-to-direct-a-tv-show-expresses-admiration-for-mare-of-easttown-553911">Steven Spielberg would love to direct a TV show, expresses admiration for 'Mare of Easttown'</a>

"We're mounting a large production for HBO based on Stanley's original script Napoleon," he said. "A seven-part limited series."

Reflecting on the past two years of frenetic film-making, Spielberg said the pandemic prompted him to revisit his childhood in The Fabelmans.

"My mom used to say: 'I've given you so much good material. When are you going to use that material?'" he said. "The fear I felt about the pandemic gave me the courage to tell my personal story."

Spielberg, known for his accessible, compelling movies, advised would-be filmmakers to start with the story.

"If you want to be a movie director, first of all write," he said. "Because it's the stories that are going to get an audience to pay attention to you, not the shots."

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Director Steven Spielberg, picking up a lifetime achievement award at the Berlin Film Festival, said the prospect of making new films continued to excite him at 76, and unveiled new details of his planned HBO series.

Director Steven Spielberg, picking up a lifetime achievement award at the Berlin Film Festival, said the prospect of making new films continued to excite him at 76, and unveiled new details of his planned HBO series. The director, whose credits include some of the biggest-grossing and best-loved works in cinema history, including Jurassic Park, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jaws, has just finished two films back to back: the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans and West Side Story, a film of the classic Broadway musical. "Whatever seized me as a little kid is the same feeling I retained all those decades later," he told reporters on Tuesday. Also Read: The Fabelmans review: Steven Spielberg's ode to cinema is his career's best "When I find a book or a script or come up with an original idea that I think would make a good movie: that excitement ... supersedes everything," he added. Spielberg, professing he "loves to work and needs to work", is finalising a script left unfinished by his friend Stanley Kubrick at the time of his death in 1999. Also Read: Steven Spielberg would love to direct a TV show, expresses admiration for 'Mare of Easttown' "We're mounting a large production for HBO based on Stanley's original script Napoleon," he said. "A seven-part limited series." Reflecting on the past two years of frenetic film-making, Spielberg said the pandemic prompted him to revisit his childhood in The Fabelmans. "My mom used to say: 'I've given you so much good material. When are you going to use that material?'" he said. "The fear I felt about the pandemic gave me the courage to tell my personal story." Spielberg, known for his accessible, compelling movies, advised would-be filmmakers to start with the story. "If you want to be a movie director, first of all write," he said. "Because it's the stories that are going to get an audience to pay attention to you, not the shots." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Steven Spielberg, still filming at 76, wins lifetime achievement award at Berlinale 2023

The Berlin film festival, long a champion of Iran's embattled independent directors, is spotlighting its citizens' fight for basic rights with a series of screenings, events and a red-carpet protest.

French-Iranian actor Golshifteh Farahani, who is serving on the jury for the top prizes with president Kristen Stewart, said as the festival kicked off Thursday that cinema was a crucial fuel for the freedom movement.

"In a country like Iran that is a dictatorship, art is not only an intellectual or philosophical thing, it's essential, it's like oxygen," she said.

Farahani made her name in Iranian movies and became an international star in productions such as Jim Jarmusch's "Paterson" opposite Adam Driver.

She and Stewart joined the red-carpet demonstration for women's rights in Iran on Saturday with festival chief Mariette Rissenbeek, who told AFP the Berlinale stood with Iranian directors who "weren't allowed to travel to the festival".

- 'Change something with cinema' -

The Berlinale, Europe's first major cinema showcase of the year, has awarded its Golden Bear top prize to many of the leading lights of Iranian cinema including Asghar Farhadi ("A Separation"), Jafar Panahi ("Taxi") and Mohammad Rasoulof ("There Is No Evil").

Iran, rocked by months of anti-government rallies, this month released Panahi and Rasoulof from prison along with several dozen other well-known detainees in an apparent attempt to appease critics.

This year, the festival is showing several documentaries, including Steffi Niederzoll's "Seven Winters in Tehran" and "My Worst Enemy" by Mehran Tamadon, which expose the brutal conditions in Iran's jails as well as rampant executions.

Niederzoll's harrowing film, which includes material smuggled out of Iran, tells the story of Reyhaneh Jabbari, who was hanged in 2014 at the age of 26 for killing a former intelligence officer she maintained had tried to rape her.

Featuring wrenching interviews with her family, who agitated for her freedom and appealed for mercy to the murdered man's son, the film recounts how an international campaign for Jabbari's life arose.

Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who won the best actress award at Cannes last year, narrates the film with letters, journals and text messages Jabbari wrote from jail, where she became a role model for many fellow prisoners.&nbsp;

"We hope that, hand in hand, we can change something with cinema," Amir Ebrahimi told AFP.

"My Worst Enemy" also examines state interrogations, as director Tamadon invites members of Paris's large Iranian exile community to question him using pressure techniques they themselves experienced in custody.

Half expose, half group therapy session, the film asks whether anyone can become an instrument of state oppression, given the chance.

Amir Ebrahimi appears as one of the interrogators and reveals that she was sexually assaulted while in custody by a female doctor during a purported medical exam.

"I couldn't walk for three days," she says.

&nbsp;'Shine a light' - 
 
Tamadon told AFP it was "time to forget that the Islamic republic will reform itself".&nbsp;

He hailed the role of Western platforms such as the Berlinale to "shine a light on the violence perpetrated against the Iranian people".

"Iranians in Iran are exhausted -- this gives the energy and motivation to continue to hit the streets."

Milad Alami's drama "Opponent" stars Payman Maadi from "A Separation", as a closeted gay man seeking asylum with his wife and two daughters in northern Sweden.

Alami, who himself moved from Iran to Sweden as a child, said he aimed with his second feature to explore how official repression penetrates even the most intimate relationships, including a marriage.

"There are walls between them (the couple) that created this feeling of not being able to talk to each other," he said in notes for the film.

The wife Maryam senses her husband's inner conflict even as he keeps it under wraps for fear of reprisal. "That's a big thing in Iran," Alami said.

For those who have left Iran, the struggle to find out who they really are begins anew, he said.&nbsp;

"When you come to another country, when freedom is there, how difficult is it to take it?" &nbsp;

The Berlin film festival, long a champion of Iran's embattled independent directors, is spotlighting its citizens' fight for basic rights with a series of screenings, events and a red-carpet protest.

The Berlin film festival, long a champion of Iran's embattled independent directors, is spotlighting its citizens' fight for basic rights with a series of screenings, events and a red-carpet protest. French-Iranian actor Golshifteh Farahani, who is serving on the jury for the top prizes with president Kristen Stewart, said as the festival kicked off Thursday that cinema was a crucial fuel for the freedom movement. "In a country like Iran that is a dictatorship, art is not only an intellectual or philosophical thing, it's essential, it's like oxygen," she said. Farahani made her name in Iranian movies and became an international star in productions such as Jim Jarmusch's "Paterson" opposite Adam Driver. She and Stewart joined the red-carpet demonstration for women's rights in Iran on Saturday with festival chief Mariette Rissenbeek, who told AFP the Berlinale stood with Iranian directors who "weren't allowed to travel to the festival". - 'Change something with cinema' - The Berlinale, Europe's first major cinema showcase of the year, has awarded its Golden Bear top prize to many of the leading lights of Iranian cinema including Asghar Farhadi ("A Separation"), Jafar Panahi ("Taxi") and Mohammad Rasoulof ("There Is No Evil"). Iran, rocked by months of anti-government rallies, this month released Panahi and Rasoulof from prison along with several dozen other well-known detainees in an apparent attempt to appease critics. This year, the festival is showing several documentaries, including Steffi Niederzoll's "Seven Winters in Tehran" and "My Worst Enemy" by Mehran Tamadon, which expose the brutal conditions in Iran's jails as well as rampant executions. Niederzoll's harrowing film, which includes material smuggled out of Iran, tells the story of Reyhaneh Jabbari, who was hanged in 2014 at the age of 26 for killing a former intelligence officer she maintained had tried to rape her. Featuring wrenching interviews with her family, who agitated for her freedom and appealed for mercy to the murdered man's son, the film recounts how an international campaign for Jabbari's life arose. Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who won the best actress award at Cannes last year, narrates the film with letters, journals and text messages Jabbari wrote from jail, where she became a role model for many fellow prisoners. "We hope that, hand in hand, we can change something with cinema," Amir Ebrahimi told AFP. "My Worst Enemy" also examines state interrogations, as director Tamadon invites members of Paris's large Iranian exile community to question him using pressure techniques they themselves experienced in custody. Half expose, half group therapy session, the film asks whether anyone can become an instrument of state oppression, given the chance. Amir Ebrahimi appears as one of the interrogators and reveals that she was sexually assaulted while in custody by a female doctor during a purported medical exam. "I couldn't walk for three days," she says. 'Shine a light' - Tamadon told AFP it was "time to forget that the Islamic republic will reform itself". He hailed the role of Western platforms such as the Berlinale to "shine a light on the violence perpetrated against the Iranian people". "Iranians in Iran are exhausted -- this gives the energy and motivation to continue to hit the streets." Milad Alami's drama "Opponent" stars Payman Maadi from "A Separation", as a closeted gay man seeking asylum with his wife and two daughters in northern Sweden. Alami, who himself moved from Iran to Sweden as a child, said he aimed with his second feature to explore how official repression penetrates even the most intimate relationships, including a marriage. "There are walls between them (the couple) that created this feeling of not being able to talk to each other," he said in notes for the film. The wife Maryam senses her husband's inner conflict even as he keeps it under wraps for fear of reprisal. "That's a big thing in Iran," Alami said. For those who have left Iran, the struggle to find out who they really are begins anew, he said. "When you come to another country, when freedom is there, how difficult is it to take it?"

Iran freedom struggle stars at Berlin film fest

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined Hollywood actor Sean Penn by video link on Thursday at the opening of the Berlinale, Europe's first major film festival of the year, calling for the entertainment world to maintain its "solidarity" with his besieged country.

The 73rd annual event, traditionally the most politically minded of the three big European cinema showcases, is marking the first anniversary of the Russian invasion as well as anti-regime protests in Iran with new feature films and documentaries.

Penn appeared on stage at the festival's inaugural gala and introduced the Ukrainian leader, who spoke live via video stream and was greeted by a standing ovation from the audience.

"Cinema cannot change the world," said Zelensky, wearing his now trademark sweatshirt. "But it can influence and inspire people who can change the world." 
 
Penn, who was filming in Kyiv at the start of the Russian onslaught, will this weekend premiere "Superpower", tracking Zelensky's transformation from comedian to president to war hero.

The two-time Oscar winner said he had just returned from the Ukrainian capital.

"Nothing has changed in terms of the will of the Ukrainian people," Penn said. "That's for sure. If anything, it's just gotten stronger."

The festival's artistic director Carlo Chatrian paid tribute to "the suffering population, the millions who left Ukraine and the artists (who) have remained defending the country and continue filming the war".

US actor Kristen Stewart ("Spencer"), head of the jury for the Golden and Silver Bear top prizes, told reporters earlier that the event was "an enormous opportunity to have a hand in highlighting beautiful things" in the face of global turmoil. 
"It's the job of an artist to take a disgusting and ugly thing and sort of transmute it and put it through your body and pump out something more beautiful... in response to the world that's falling apart around us," she said.

Beyond movie screenings, the Berlinale plans panel discussions with embattled directors and red-carpet protests in a show of "solidarity" with the people of Iran and Ukraine.

- 'Desire for peace' - 
 
Hollywood actors Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway and Marisa Tomei presented their romantic comedy "She Came to Me" by director Rebecca Miller, the first of nearly 300 new movies from around the world to screen during the 11-day event.

They told reporters they were honoured to premiere the film at a ceremony addressed by Zelensky, with Hathaway calling him "a hero of our times". 
 
She thanked the festival "for giving us all the opportunity to amplify the message of Ukraine, which is the almost universal desire for peace".

Miller, whose movie addresses fraught US race relations and tensions over religious beliefs, said she saw filmmaking as "a kind of patriotic act to show different aspects of our country".

"One of the ways in which we can perhaps have a more peaceful world is by having our art talk to each other across the nations," she said.&nbsp;

Nineteen films will vie for the main awards, including British-US co-production "Manodrome" featuring Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien Brody in a thriller about an Uber driver who is lured into a cult while he is expecting his first child.

Two Asian animated pictures will also join the running, "Art College 1994" by China's Liu Jian and Makoto Shinkai's "Suzume", the first Japanese anime to compete at the Berlinale since Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" clinched the Golden Bear in 2002. 
 
- Gold for Spielberg - 
 
After lean years due to the pandemic, it is the starriest Berlinale edition in recent memory, with Helen Mirren, Vicky Krieps, folk legend Joan Baez and U2 frontman Bono also awaited on the red carpet.

Three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg is to collect an honorary Golden Bear for his life's work, honoured with a retrospective.

A third of the films in competition are by women, who make up 40 percent of all directors represented in the official selection.

The Berlinale ranks with Cannes and Venice among Europe's leading film festivals. It will hand out the top prizes on February 25 before wrapping up the next day with screenings of popular movies from this year's event.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined Hollywood actor Sean Penn by video link on Thursday at the opening of the Berlinale, Europe's first major film festival of the year, calling for the entertainment world to maintain its "solidarity" with his besieged country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined Hollywood actor Sean Penn by video link on Thursday at the opening of the Berlinale, Europe's first major film festival of the year, calling for the entertainment world to maintain its "solidarity" with his besieged country. The 73rd annual event, traditionally the most politically minded of the three big European cinema showcases, is marking the first anniversary of the Russian invasion as well as anti-regime protests in Iran with new feature films and documentaries. Penn appeared on stage at the festival's inaugural gala and introduced the Ukrainian leader, who spoke live via video stream and was greeted by a standing ovation from the audience. "Cinema cannot change the world," said Zelensky, wearing his now trademark sweatshirt. "But it can influence and inspire people who can change the world." Penn, who was filming in Kyiv at the start of the Russian onslaught, will this weekend premiere "Superpower", tracking Zelensky's transformation from comedian to president to war hero. The two-time Oscar winner said he had just returned from the Ukrainian capital. "Nothing has changed in terms of the will of the Ukrainian people," Penn said. "That's for sure. If anything, it's just gotten stronger." The festival's artistic director Carlo Chatrian paid tribute to "the suffering population, the millions who left Ukraine and the artists (who) have remained defending the country and continue filming the war". US actor Kristen Stewart ("Spencer"), head of the jury for the Golden and Silver Bear top prizes, told reporters earlier that the event was "an enormous opportunity to have a hand in highlighting beautiful things" in the face of global turmoil. "It's the job of an artist to take a disgusting and ugly thing and sort of transmute it and put it through your body and pump out something more beautiful... in response to the world that's falling apart around us," she said. Beyond movie screenings, the Berlinale plans panel discussions with embattled directors and red-carpet protests in a show of "solidarity" with the people of Iran and Ukraine. - 'Desire for peace' - Hollywood actors Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway and Marisa Tomei presented their romantic comedy "She Came to Me" by director Rebecca Miller, the first of nearly 300 new movies from around the world to screen during the 11-day event. They told reporters they were honoured to premiere the film at a ceremony addressed by Zelensky, with Hathaway calling him "a hero of our times". She thanked the festival "for giving us all the opportunity to amplify the message of Ukraine, which is the almost universal desire for peace". Miller, whose movie addresses fraught US race relations and tensions over religious beliefs, said she saw filmmaking as "a kind of patriotic act to show different aspects of our country". "One of the ways in which we can perhaps have a more peaceful world is by having our art talk to each other across the nations," she said. Nineteen films will vie for the main awards, including British-US co-production "Manodrome" featuring Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien Brody in a thriller about an Uber driver who is lured into a cult while he is expecting his first child. Two Asian animated pictures will also join the running, "Art College 1994" by China's Liu Jian and Makoto Shinkai's "Suzume", the first Japanese anime to compete at the Berlinale since Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" clinched the Golden Bear in 2002. - Gold for Spielberg - After lean years due to the pandemic, it is the starriest Berlinale edition in recent memory, with Helen Mirren, Vicky Krieps, folk legend Joan Baez and U2 frontman Bono also awaited on the red carpet. Three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg is to collect an honorary Golden Bear for his life's work, honoured with a retrospective. A third of the films in competition are by women, who make up 40 percent of all directors represented in the official selection. The Berlinale ranks with Cannes and Venice among Europe's leading film festivals. It will hand out the top prizes on February 25 before wrapping up the next day with screenings of popular movies from this year's event.

Berlin film fest beams in Volodymyr Zelensky for opener with Sean Penn

Sean Penn's documentary on Ukraine, called 'Superpower', will premiere at this year's Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival), reported Associated Press. The documentary, made in association with VICE Studios, was being filmed in the country even as Russian forces invaded the country in February 2022. Penn was forced to flee the country and went on to join&nbsp;Ukrainians on the exodus across the Polish border. Penn has been a passionate supporter of Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian&nbsp;conflict and has spoken several times against Vladimir Putin's aggression. He has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky his friend and even gifted him with one of his Oscar trophies. Penn is a two-time Academy Award winner.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sean Penn has given his Oscar to Ukraine - <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZelenskyyUa</a> 
Thank you, sir! 
It is an honor for us. <a href="https://t.co/vx2UfEVTds">pic.twitter.com/vx2UfEVTds</a>
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1590089376138416128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As Penn <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-sean-penn-presents-ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelenskyy-with-his-oscar-when-you-win-bring-it-back-to-532423">presented the Oscar</a> to Zelenskyy, he said, "This is for you. It's just a symbolic silly thing, but if I know this is here with you then I'll feel better and stronger for the fight. When you win, bring it back to Malibu. I'll feel much better knowing a piece of me is here."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-time-names-ukraines-volodymyr-zelensky-person-of-the-year-541418/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Earlier this year, in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Penn had praised Zelensky. He contrasted Zelensky's outlook before the Russian invasion and on the day of the invasion saying he felt he was in “the presence of something that was new to the modern world in terms of courage and dignity…. and love that comes out of the man.”

“This is an extraordinary moment. The way he has unified that country. And I think Mr Putin certainly paved the way for that. I was endlessly impressed and moved by him and terrified for him and for Ukraine,” Penn had added, on the verge of tears.

The Russo-Ukrainian War has claimed thousands of lives of combatants and civilians on both sides. 
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Sean Penn's documentary on Ukraine, called 'Superpower', will premiere at this year's Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival), reported Associated Press. The documentary, made in association with VICE Studios, was being filmed in the country even as Russian forces invaded the country in February 2022.

Sean Penn's documentary on Ukraine, called 'Superpower', will premiere at this year's Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival), reported Associated Press. The documentary, made in association with VICE Studios, was being filmed in the country even as Russian forces invaded the country in February 2022. Penn was forced to flee the country and went on to join Ukrainians on the exodus across the Polish border. Penn has been a passionate supporter of Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and has spoken several times against Vladimir Putin's aggression. He has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky his friend and even gifted him with one of his Oscar trophies. Penn is a two-time Academy Award winner. Sean Penn has given his Oscar to Ukraine - @ZelenskyyUa Thank you, sir! It is an honor for us. pic.twitter.com/vx2UfEVTds — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) November 8, 2022 As Penn presented the Oscar to Zelenskyy, he said, "This is for you. It's just a symbolic silly thing, but if I know this is here with you then I'll feel better and stronger for the fight. When you win, bring it back to Malibu. I'll feel much better knowing a piece of me is here." Earlier this year, in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Penn had praised Zelensky. He contrasted Zelensky's outlook before the Russian invasion and on the day of the invasion saying he felt he was in “the presence of something that was new to the modern world in terms of courage and dignity…. and love that comes out of the man.” “This is an extraordinary moment. The way he has unified that country. And I think Mr Putin certainly paved the way for that. I was endlessly impressed and moved by him and terrified for him and for Ukraine,” Penn had added, on the verge of tears. The Russo-Ukrainian War has claimed thousands of lives of combatants and civilians on both sides.

Sean Penn’s documentary on Russia-Ukraine conflict 'Superpower' to premiere at Berlinale 2023

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Sean Penn’s documentary on Russia-Ukraine conflict 'Superpower' to premiere at Berlinale 2023