Critics Rank the Best Films and Performances From the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival

Leda Galanou, Flix.gr

It would be great if, as journalists, we could encourage the Berlinale to create more wi-fi spots around the screening theatres, so we can work more easily.

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE

1. Gloria

2. Child’s Pose

3. Frances Ha

4. Prince Avalanche

5. The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Calin Peter Netzer, Child’s Pose

2. David Gordon Green, Prince Avalanche

3. Bruno Dumont, Camille Claudel 1915

4. Noah Baumbach, Frances Ha

5. Sebastian Lelio, Gloria

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

1. Paulina Garcia, Gloria

2. Luminita Gheorghiu, Child’s Pose

3. Juliette Binoche, Camille Claudel 1915

4. Paul Rudd, Prince Avalanche

5. Catherine Deneuve, Elle s’ en va

BEST ENSEMBLE

1. Before Midnight

BIGGEST SURPRISE

1. Camille Claude 1915 (Not as excruciating as I thought it would be!)

2. Harmony Lessons (Arrogant director, but will keep looking for his next film)

Clementine Gallot, M

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE

1. Camille Claudel 1915

2. Top of the Lake

3. Frances Ha

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1. La maison de la radio

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Bruno Dumont, Camille Claudel 1915

Patrick Gamble, CineVue

A remarkably underwhelming competition strand still boasted some solid films. Despite Gloria being the clear critical favorite across the festival, seeing Child’s Pose eventually win the Golden Bear remained a rather pleasing result. As always with any festival, it’s the interesting films you realize you’ve missed which leave the most lasting impression and as such I will endeavor to make sure I catch Ramon Zurcher’s ‘The Strange Little Cat’, Nicolas Wackerbarth’s ‘Everyday Objects’ and Joshua Oppenheimer’s ‘The Act of Killing.

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE

1. Upstream Color

2. The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas

3. Gloria

4. Paradise: Hope

5. Child’s Pose

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Shane Carruth, Upstream Color

2. Emire Baigazin, Harmony Lessons

3. Ulrich Seidl, Paradise: Hope

4. Reha Erdem. Jin

5. Harry Patramanis, Fynbos

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

1. Christos Stergioglou, The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas

2. Paulina Garcia, Gloria

3. Luminita Gheorghiu, Child’s Pose

4. Juiliette Binoche, Camille Claudel 1915

5. Timur Aidarbekov, Harmony Lessons

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

1. Sergio Hernandez. Gloria

2. Lousie Borgoin. The Nun

3. Alsna Anarbayev. Harmony Lessons

4. Julianna Moore, Don Jon’s Addiction

5. The Dog, Closed Curtain

BEST ENSEMBLE

1. A Long and Happy Life

2. Paradise: Hope

3. A Fold in My Blanket

4. Computer Chess

5. Gold

BEST FIRST FEATURE

1. The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas

2. Harmony Lessons

3. A Fold in My Blanket

4. Fynbos

5. Don Jon’s Addiction

BIGGEST SURPRISE

1. Shirley – Visions of Reality: Art Direction

2. Harmony Lessons: Cockroach Torture

3. Paradise: Hope: “If you’re happy and you know it clap your fat”

4. Don Jon’s Addiction – Tatum and Hathaway Cameo

5. Computer Chess – Cameo from film critic Gerald Peary

Andrew Grant, Freelance

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE

1. The Strange Little Cat

2. Love Battles

3. A Stranger

4. Closed Curtain

5. Frances Ha

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Ramon Zürcher, The Strange Little Cat

2. Hong Sang-soo, Nobody's Daughter Haewon

3. Noah Baumbach, Frances Ha

4. Jafar Panahi, Closed Curtain

5. Matthew Porterfield, I Used to Be Darker

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

1. Juliette Binoche, Camille Claudel 1915

2. Timur Aidarbekov, Harmony Lessons 

3. Sara Forestier, Love Battles

4. Jeroen Willems, It’s All So Quiet

5. Christos Stergioglou, The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas    

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

1. Mia Kasalo, The Strange Little Cat

2. Joseph Lorenz, Paradise: Hope

3. The dog, Closed Curtain

4. Patrick Riester, Computer Chess

5. Jeffrey Wright, A Single Shot

BEST ENSEMBLE

1. Paradise: Hope

2. Computer Chess

3. The Strange Little Cat

4. I Used to Be Darker

5. The Look of Love

BEST FIRST FEATURE

1. The Strange Little Cat

2. Concussion

3. The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas 

BIGGEST SURPRISE

1. The Strange Little Cat -- This simple student project film was the most "alive" piece of cinema I've seen in years. 

2. A Stranger

3. The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas

4. Concussion - Remarkable for a first film