AWARDS OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY

The Ecumenical Jury at the 64th Berlinale, appointed by INTERFILM and SIGNIS, gives awards in the Competition, the Forum and the Panorama. The Forum and the Panorama Prize carry a prize money of € 2500 each, donated by the Catholic Film Work in Germany and the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).

The Ecumenical Jury awards its Prize in the Competition to the film

Kreuzweg (Stations of the Cross)
by Dietrich Brüggemann, Germany/France 2014

14 year-old Maria grows up in a fundamental Catholic community and tries to understand what it means to give one’s life to God. The 14 chapters modeled on the Stations of the Cross are coherently filmed in a tableau-style with hardly any camera-movements or music. They portray the destructive aspects of any fundamentalism but also lead us to reflect about the meaning of compassionate faith. 

The Jury awards a Commendation in the Competition to the film

’71
by Yann Demange, Great Britain 2014

An ordinary British soldier lost in the apocalyptic inferno of Belfast is desperately trying to find his way back to his unit. Will he find any Good Samaritans among Protestant Loyalists or Catholic Nationalists to help him in this desperate situation? Though it is set in a specific historical context, this story has a universal relevance as it denounces the senselessness of violence.
The Jury awards its Prize in the Panorama to the film

Calvary
by John Michael McDonagh, Great Britain/Ireland 2014

An Irish-Catholic priest learns during a confession that he has only one more week to live before he will be killed. Will his moral integrity lead him to bear the sins of his church? Various serious topics are often dealt with in a dark humorous way. Brendan Gleeson’s memorable performance will become a classic in the canon of movie-priests.

The Jury awards a Commendation in the Panorama to the film

Triptyque
by Robert Lepage and Pedro Pires, Canada 2013

Do changes in our brains alter our souls? The film explores this question with three different narratives about what and how we hear and understand. This highly cinematographic meditation offers thought-provoking observations about music, religion, medical science and our auditive senses.

The Jury awards its Prize in the Forum to the film

Sto Spito / At Home
by Athanasios Karanikolas, Greece/Germany 2014

Nadja, a Georgian migrant woman, works without any benefits as a housekeeper for an upperclass Greek family. For years she has lived as a part of the family – but suddenly she is diagnosed with a serious illness just as the father of the family runs into some financial difficulties. The film highlights the inherent dignity of a woman at the margins of society.

The members of the Jury 2014:
Karel Deburchgrave (Belgium), Gabriella Lettini (USA), Thomas Schüpbach (Switzerland), Christoph Strack (Germany), Antonio Urrata (Italy) and Dirk von Jutrczenka (Jury President, Germany).

From left to right: Christoph Strack, Gabriella Lettini, Dirk von Jutrczenka (front), Thomas Schüpbach, Karel Deburchgrave, Antonio Urrata (back); © Ekko von Schwichow