Overview
- Sandra Hüller won the Silver Bear for best leading performance for Markus Schleinzer’s period drama Rose.
- Emin Alper’s Kurtuluş received the Grand Jury Prize, Lance Hammer’s Queen at Sea won the Jury Prize and supporting-actor honor, Grant Gee was named best director, and Geneviève Dulude-de Celles won best screenplay for Nina Roza.
- Çatak’s winning film is a political drama about a Turkish theatre couple who face state pressure that threatens their livelihoods.
- Several acceptance speeches criticized Israel’s war conduct and Germany’s Gaza policy, and federal minister Carsten Schneider left the gala during Abdallah Alkhatib’s remarks.
- Festival leadership defended the stage as a space for artistic speech as debates over the Berlinale’s political role and censorship accusations continued into closing night.