Refugees documentary ‘Fire at Sea’ wins at Berlin

“Fire at Sea”, a harrowing documentary about Europe’s refugee crisis, clinched the Berlin film festival’s Golden Bear top prize on Sunday from a jury led by Meryl Streep.

Italian director Gianfranco Rosi’s picture offers an unflinching look at life on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, where thousands of migrants have arrived trying to reach the European Union over the last two decades and thousands more have died trying. The Eritrean-born Rosi dedicated the prize to the people of Lampedusa “who open their hearts to other peoples”.

“I hope to bring awareness,” he said as he accepted the golden trophy from Streep. “It is not acceptable that people die crossing the sea trying to escape from tragedies.” 

France’s Mia Hansen-Love won the Silver Bear for best director for her drama “Things to Come” starring Isabelle Huppert. Huppert wowed audiences with her dignified, soulful turn in “Things to Come” as a philosophy teacher whose marriage falls apart just as her elderly mother dies.

Malayalam film “Ottal” was named best children’s film at the Film Festival and honoured with the Crystal Bear award in the ‘Generation KPlus’ section.