BERLIN — Films about German heroes and terrorists were the big winners at the Bavarian Film Awards, one of the country’s most prestigious film prizes.
Florian Gallenberger’s World War II drama “John Rabe” and Uli Edel’s “The Baader Meinhof Complex” shared the main producer prize at the kudofest Friday.
Produced by Mischa Hofmann, Jan Mojto and Benjamin Herrmann, “Rabe” is the story of a German industrialist who saved the lives of thousands of civilians during the massacres that followed the Japanese invasion of China in 1937 and 1938.
Ulrich Tukur took the best actor award for his leading role in the film, which hits local theaters on April 2.
An emotional Bernd Eichinger accepted the porcelain statuette for “Baader Meinhof,” a chronicle of the rise and fall of the notorious West German Red Army Faction.
Caroline Link picked up the director award for her family drama “A Year Ago in Winter,” which also won Karoline Herfurth the young generation actress prize.
Best actress kudos went to Ursula Werner for her role as an elder woman who has an extramarital affair after more than 30 years of marriage in Andreas Dresen’s “Cloud 9”; pic also won Michael Hammon the cinematography award.
Gernot Gricksch nabbed the screenplay award for Leander Haussmann’s quirky romantic comedy "Robert Zimmermann Is Tangled Up in Love,” while Til Schweiger picked up the audience award for his mega hit, “Keinohrhasen” (Rabbit Without Ears).
Contact Ed Meza at
ed.meza@mannaa.de