"Yellow Letters, a drama set in Turkey about creeping authoritarianism, has won the Golden Bear top prize at the Berlin film festival, after a 10-day event overshadowed by a row over politics in cinema. The film by German director Ilker Catak, born in Berlin to Turkish immigrants, tells the story of two luminaries of the Ankara theatre scene whose marriage comes under severe strain when they lose their jobs after falling out of political favour. Its title comes from the colour of the official dismissal notices."
"Wim Wenders, the veteran German film-maker and jury president of the 76th Berlinale, said the feature gave the jury chills with its warning of signs of despotism and a threat of repression that could possibly happen in our countries. This film will be understood worldwide, I promise you, said Wenders, who faced a storm of criticism as the festival opened over his comments on movies and activism. Catak, whose 2023 drama The Teachers' Lounge was nominated for an Oscar, thanked Wenders, saying, "You are one of my teachers so it's such an incredible thing to accept this from you.""
"Yellow Letters was shot in Germany, with Berlin standing in for Ankara and Hamburg for Istanbul. The producers said this was not due to fear of reprisal from Turkish authorities but to stress the film's universal themes."
"The runner-up Grand Jury award went to Emin Alper's Salvation, which is about a decades-old land feud in the Turkish mountains. The third-place jury prize was awarded to US director Lance Hammer for his wrenching London-based dementia drama Queen at Sea. It stars French actor Juliette Binoche as a professor struggling with her ailing mother's final phase of life. The Silver Bear prize for best director went to Britain's Grant Gee for Everybody Digs Bill Evans, a stylish black-and-white feature about the legendary jazz pianist's struggles with addiction."
Yellow Letters, directed by Ilker Catak, won the Golden Bear top prize at the Berlin film festival. The drama follows two Ankara theatre luminaries whose marriage collapses after they lose their jobs when they fall out of political favour; the title refers to the colour of official dismissal notices. Wim Wenders characterized the film as a chilling warning of despotism and predicted global resonance. The film was shot in Germany with Berlin and Hamburg standing in for Ankara and Istanbul to underline universal themes rather than fear of reprisals. Other Berlinale prizes recognized Emin Alper, Lance Hammer, and Grant Gee.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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