SPECIAL MENTION: Corpus Christy, Our Time, Deerskin, Nobadi, Us, The Cave, The Farewell,Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Mustang, Giant Little Ones, Marriage Story, American Factory, The Report, Maiden, The Aeronauts, The Great Hack, The Art of Self Defense, Apollo 11, Knock Down the House, High Life.
🎥 🎞 📽 🎬
Parasite cast at the Oscars 2020. Photo: José Alberto Hermosillo. Copyright FestivalinLA 2020.
The year 2019 brought us some fascinating films - many of those you probably never heard of, or have no time to watch them. Many movies have no possibilities for an award or won't get an Oscar buzz - many critics may agree that the best film of the year will not necessarily be the most highly praised or rewarded movie of the year.
"Transit" is the most sublime, obsessively beautiful story of 2019. This modern and existentialist masterwork is comparable with classics such as "Casa Blanca" or "Touch of Evil."
Films like "Joker" deserve to win Best Picture, "1917" is a masterpiece as well. "Little Women," a movie narrated from the writer's point-of-view and directed by a woman, is the best adaptation of the classic American novel so far.
Some productions from other countries enrich the list of best films of the year, such as the Brazilian masterwork "Invisible Life." The French productions "Portrait of a Woman on Fire" and "Les Misérables" are also great movies worth your time.
In the foreign section, we have the Swedish production, "And Then We Danced" about Georgian dancers in love.
Finally, the most controversial film of the year, and difficult to swallow, the black and white WWII drama "The Painted Bird."
The year 2019, also brought us a few big disappointments. I was not
referring to Cats, Richard Jewell, The Fanatic, Rambo: Last Blood,
Terminator: Dark Fate, or Ugly Dolls. But that is another story.
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“Synonyms” is an urgent cry for freedom. A sublime and obsessively poetic Nadav Lapid film, unmissable and beautiful—pure Bertolucci!
Immigration, antisemitism, far-right politics, and extreme nationalism have increased, prompting many French Jews to return to Israel. Ironically, young Joav, skillfully portrayed by newcomer Tom Mercier, is prepared to do the opposite. When he arrives in Paris, he feels a strong desire to become a French citizen; therefore, he decides to study the language intensively.
Joav is an Israeli soldier who deserted and suffers from PTSD. His memories of abuse and brutality during his time in the army are mixed with a clear dehumanization of his character.
When Joav arrives in the city, he falls asleep in the bathtub of an empty apartment in an upscale neighborhood. When he wakes up, all his belongings are gone. Returning to the tub and nearly dying of hypothermia, he is rescued by a young good Samaritan couple.
Emilie (Quentin Dolmaire, “Godard Mon Amour”) and Caroline (Louise Chevillotte) are a wealthy couple seeking to satisfy their intellectual curiosity by riskily engaging in dangerous games with Joav.
They feed him, dress him, and give him money. At one point, Emilie suggests that Caroline marry Joav to help him become a French citizen faster. What a fortunate boy! Their generosity comes at a steep cost because nothing in life is truly free.
“Synonyms” is an existentialist masterpiece with complex events that inspire its audience to explore the true meaning of friendship, origin, nationality, human dignity, and self-respect.
While working at the Israeli Embassy, Joav causes chaos by attempting to help people seeking shelter. The symbolism and political correctness of the film reach their peak through an extreme event that challenges boundaries and international borders—metaphorically speaking—highlighting Joav’s liberal actions contrasted with Israel’s politics toward Palestinians.
Joav’s only weapon is a French/Hebrew dictionary, which he desperately uses to find many words to recite. The only way to survive in the classist French society is to speak Victor Hugo’s language flawlessly because Joav knows it’s never too late to save his soul.
Once he earned a degree in philosophy from Tel Aviv University, visionary director Nadav Lapid (“Kindergarten Teacher,” “Policeman”) moved to Paris after completing his military service in Israel. He aimed to clear his mind and become a French citizen, which is reflected in his compelling body of work, especially in his latest film, “Synonyms,” a masterpiece.
To write about the 2019 Berlin Golden Bear winner, Lapid focuses on the main character’s journey and his wealthy friends. The director’s semi-autobiographical film reveals many layers of the story through Joav’s conflicted personality. It shows both his inner drive and his determination to reach his goal. Still, it also challenges his desire to uphold Israel’s Zionist ideals, because his background significantly influences his life.
As a paradox in the story, Joav is a soldier who deserted his country and then emigrated to France, only to be alienated by the Parisians.
When Joav’s father traveled to Paris to bring him back to Israel, Joav refused to listen to his mother’s message, and nothing could change his mind. He remained hesitant about his Israeli nationality, but he focuses on his goal.
In Israel, the generational clash is clear - the older generation speaks Hebrew, while the younger generation speaks English. The new immigrant sings the Marseillaise in France better than any native-born French citizen.
“Synonyms” appeals to the human spirit by showing the main character’s vulnerability in a highly dehumanized society.
The controversial film is a social and political manifesto that depicts an idealistic young man’s struggle to adapt to a new society, grappling with the concepts of freedom, opportunity, equality, indulgence, range, unrestrainedness, and rope, under different circumstances. Conversely, as a naturalized citizen embracing his new country, he may embody loyalty, gratitude, and righteousness.
When the wealthy abuse the poor, the fragile line of trust shatters. A moment of awareness is crucial, and it is when the player no longer wants to participate.
A man should avoid pushing his luck in dangerous conditions in this new land of opportunities. In “Synonyms,” one crucial question arises: How far can a player go in the dangerous “game of life,” impacting others viciously without any rules?
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The members of the Jury of the Berlinale 2019 honored the French/German/Israeli co-production “Synonyms,” a film about the life of a young Israeli living in Paris, who relies on his dictionary to emancipate and feel part of the French society without forgetting his Hebrew roots.
Members of the Jury: Juliette Binoche (Jury President), Justin Chang, Sandra Hüller, Sebastián Lelio, Rajendra Roy and Trudie Styler.
Golden Bear Winner "Synonyms" directed by Nadav Lapid
GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST FILM
“Synonyms.”
Director: Nadav Lapid
SILVER BEAR GRAND JURY PRIZE
“The Grace of God”
Director: François Ozon
SILVER BEAR ALFRED BAUER PRIZE
“System Crasher”
Director: Nora Fingscheidt
SILVER BEAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Angela Schanelec
“I Was at Home, But”
SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTRESS
Yong Mei
“So Long, My Son”
SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTOR
Wang Jing Chun
“So Long, My Son”
Silver Bear Best Screenplay, Piranhas
SILVER BEAR FOR BEST SCREENPLAY
Maurizio Braucci, Claudio Giovannesi and Roberto Saviano
"La paranza dei bambini"
“Piranhas”
SILVER BEAR FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION
Rasmus Videbæk, Cinematography
“Out Stealing Horses”
GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL - BEST DOCUMENTARY
“Talking About Trees”
Director: Suhaib Gasmelbari
GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM
“Umbra”
Directors: Florian Fischer and Johannes Krell
Silver Bear Short Film "Blue Boy"
SILVER BEAR JURY PRIZE (SHORT FILM)
“Blue Boy”
Director: Manuel Abramovich
AUDI SHORT FILM AWARD
“Rise”
Directors: Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca
SPECIAL MENTION
“Omarska”
Director: Varun Sasindran
BERLIN SHORT FILM CANDIDATE - EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS:
“Watermelon Juice”
Director: Irene Moray
PRIZES OF THE JURIES GENERATION
CRYSTAL BEAR - Best Film
“A Colony”
Director: Geneviève Dulude-De Celles
SPECIAL MENTION
"Daniel"
Director: Marine Atlan
CRYSTAL BEAR - Best Short Film
“Just Me and You”
Director: Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers
SPECIAL MENTION
“#bullyingstory”
Director: Eef Hilgers
CRYSTAL BEAR - Best Short Film
“Just Me and You”
Director: Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers
THE GRAND PRIX GENERATION K-PLUS
Best feature-length film
“A First Farewell”
Director: Wang Lina
SPECIAL MENTION
“My Extraordinary Summer with Tess”
Director: Steven Wouterlood
THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE GENERATION K PLUS
El Tamaño de las cosas - Berlin 2019
INTERNATIONAL JURY - Best short film,
“El tamaño de las cosas.”
“The Size of Things”
Director: Carlos Felipe Montoya
SPECIAL MENTION
“Dad”
Directors: Atle Blakseth, Einar Dunsæd
CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film
“Stupid Young Heart”
Director: Selma Vilhunen
SPECIAL MENTION
“We Are Little Zombies” Director: Makoto Nagahisa
HONORARY GOLDEN BEAR
Charlotte Rampling, actress.
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