2019 Berlinale Winners

An ex-Israeli soldier rejects his national identity as he moves to Paris: One could expect just another take on the cliched expat genre from this one-line description of "Synonyms," but the movie explores the concept of identity down to its core. Israeli director Nadav Lapid took the main award of the Berlinale with his outstanding contribution.

Dealing with the scars of China's one-child policy and its Cultural Revolution, which saw countless people imprisoned, tortured and executed, Chinese director Wang Xiashuai's three-hour drama depicts the country's political upheaval through two families over three decades. The film won Best Actor and Best Actress with outstanding performances by Wang Jingchun and Yong Mei.

Long static shots, deadpan dialogues and disorientating ellipses: Angela Schanelec's entry is one of the most divisive works of the competition. The German press and hardcore cinephiles are absolutely ecstatic about this elegant Berlin School work, but many others found "I Was at Home, But" unnecessarily pretentious. Still, Schanelec won the Silver Bear for Best Director.

The adaptation of Roberto Saviano's novel depicts the world of teenage gangs in Naples, where youths grow up with violence and crime as rites of passage. This next generation of mobsters isn't afraid of the police even when they occasionally do get into trouble. The Italian film won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay.

In "By the Grace of God," Francois Ozon tells the story of an association of victims who take action against the attempted cover-up of a Catholic priest's years of sexual abuse. It's a highly topical film whose conclusion remains to be written in real life, as the trial of Lyon's Cardinal Barbarin is still ongoing. Ozon's movie won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize.

Screened early in the competition, the German filmmaker's debut centers on an aggressive, traumatized nine-year-old who defies the German child welfare system. Everyone agreed that the young actress in the lead role, Helena Zengel, offered a deeply impressive performance. The movie bagged the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize as a feature film that "opens new perspectives on cinematic art."

Cinematographer Rasmus Videbaek, who in the past worked on international productions including "12 Strong" and "The Dark Tower," won a Silver Bear for his work on the Norwegian drama "Out Stealing Horses." The poetic film features Swedish superstar Stellan Skarsgard.

Macedonian filmmaker Teona Strugar Mitevska offers a Balkan satire about the predominance of religion and macho culture in her home country. Zorica Nusheva's performance in the title role garnered particular praise. Nonetheless, the movie failed to win a main award but took the Guild Film Prize home as well as the Ecumenical Jury award.