“Dreams (Sex Love)” has won the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival’s Top Award, The Golden Bear by Norwegian director Dag Johan Hubrud.
It tells the story of a student who falls in love with his charismatic teacher, and finally reveals the written story to his grandmother and mother. A simple yet deep authentic attention on love, it introduces strong women in four main roles. The jury of the competition praised its stars, Ella Ori, Cellom Ametu, AE Dahl Torp and Anne Marit Jacobsena’s performance.
Jury President Tod Hens (“Carol,” “I am not Wonder”) noted the unique and universal effects of the film.
Golden and Silver Beer with six other gamblers with Hens: Chinese star fan binging, German filmmaker and actor Maria Shreder, Morocco-French director Nabil Auch, German costume designer Bina Dagler, Argentina filmmaker Rodrigo Morno and US Critic to US Critic Had to choose. And podcast host Amy Nicholson.
The Silver Beer Grand Jury Award went to “The Blue Trail” by Brazilian filmmaker Gabriel Mascara, while the Silver Beer Jury Award recognized Argentina’s film “The Message”. Both are the road trips: Masaro’s film revolves through the rich greenery of Amazon River and the director Ivan Fund revolves with the dusty roads of Argentina countries.
Chinese filmmaker Hu Meng won the Best Director Award with his farmer saga, “Living the Land”.
Rose Burn was identified for his major performance in “IFI Head Legs, I am Kick You”, while Andrew Scott took Silver Beer for Richard Lincatter’s “Blue Moon” in “Blue Moon”. Berlinley made his acting awards in 2021 gender-plate.
The silver beer French actress Marian Kotilad starred for an external artistic contribution to the entire creative team of “The Ice Tower”.
After his 2021 Golden Beer, Romanian Redu Jude won the silver beer for the best screenplay with his low budget “Continental ’25”.
Not so political
Berlin traditionally was the most political in three major European film festivals, with Venice and Cannes, but this time was taken away by a jury around the functions directly working with political issues.
The only documentary of the main competition, “Timstamp”, describes how Ukraine’s teacher managed to run the school amidst war, left empty -handed.
A political background by Mexican director Mitchell Franco, another strong candidate with “Dreams”, did not even pay attention to any award. The film depicts the strength division between two lovers, an American philanthropist and a Mexican ballet dancer, almost crossing the border to cross this range.
In his acceptance speeches, some filmmakers mentioned the difficult situation in the world or in their country. It was Redu Jude, who offered one of the most outspoken political comments of the ceremony, saying that he hopes that the international criminal court in the Hague would do his job to stop those “deadly bosses”. The court issued in November 2024 arrested the warrant, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yov Galant and Hamas Commander Mohammad Def. Hamas leader has ever been killed in an Israeli air strike.
Criticism of Israel’s policies during the closing festival last year – especially by Israeli and Palestinian directors of Palestinian directors, “no other land” – led the allegations of antisemitism and calls by German politicians and managed the possible discovery in future .
This year, an investigation was initiated after a speech hero at a film premiere, as it also includes a controversial political slogan, which can be interpreted as an abolition for Hard.
A film dealing with the fate of an Israeli WOMA was abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023 – “Holding Lait,” directed by Brandon Cramer – WO Important Awards: Berlinley Documentary Award and one of the pricing of ecological jury.
The latest event was the first festival led by Trisia Tutal, and he mainly avoids political statements through the festival, just inviting everyone to join the next festival in his closing words.
The changes launched by the Tutle are a new competitive section called Perspectives, with the first feature films. The winning title in this section is “The Devil Smokes (and saves burn matches in the same box) by Ernesto Martinez Busio.