Hollywood
Jafar Panahi’s ‘Taxi’ wins Golden Bear at Berlinale
NEW DELHI: The Iranian ‘Taxi‘ by Jafar Panahi – who cannot even leave his country as he is awaiting trial – bagged both the Golden Bear as well as the FIPRESCI (film critics) awards at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival at the Berlinale Palast.
The Silver Bear went to El Club (The Club) by Pablo Larrain of Chilea while the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize for a feature film that opens new perspectives was given to Ixcancul (Volcano) by Jayro Bustamante from Guatemala.
The Silver Bear for Best Director was shared by two films: Radu Jude for Aferim! from Romania and Malgorzata Szumowska for Body from Poland.
The Silver Bears for best actress and best actor went to Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courteny respectively for the same film: In 45 Years by Andrew Haigh.
Interestingly, Panahi cannot even have credits in his films and his films do not exist ‘officially’ and are not ‘distributable’ there. The well written, directed and performed film is overtly political and a pithy indictment of the Iranian censorship laws as well as the ‘sharia-based’ criminal justice system of the theocratic regime. His award was collected by his niece.
The Silver Bears for Outstanding Artistic Contribution went to the German Sturla Brandth Grovlen for his ‘one-take’ cinematography in Victoria directed by Sebastian Schipper while the Russians Evgeniy Privin and Sergey Mikhalchuk got it for Pod Electricheskimi Oblakami (Under Electric Clouds) directed by Alexey German Jr.
Nagesh Kukunoor’s Dhanak received two awards: the Special Mention by the Children’s Jury Generation KPlus, and the Grand Prix of the Generation KPlus International Jury for the best feature-length film, endowed with 7,500 by the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk.
Hollywood
Did the ballet and opera controversy cost Timothée Chalamet his Oscar?
The actor’s ‘dying art forms’ comments may have danced away his Oscar chances.
LOS ANGELES: Last night, the 98th Academy Awards delivered a performance that wasn’t in the script, as Michael B. Jordan clinched the Best Actor statue, leaving Timothée Chalamet’s widely predicted win to pirouette away into the night. While Chalamet was long considered the frontrunner for his starring turn in Marty Supreme, many are whispering that a singular, ill-timed performance, not on screen but on the campaign trail, may have rewritten the finale.
For months, the narrative surrounding the race had a singular star, Chalamet, the critics’ darling and the bookies’ bet. However, the closing numbers saw a dramatic plot twist. Chalamet found himself upstaged not just by his fellow nominees but by the ghost of public opinion, following remarks he made during a Variety and CNN actor-on-actor conversation in February.
What started as a breezy discussion turned distinctly frosty when Chalamet, the conversation’s designated trendsetter, took aim at some classical institutions. “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera, where no one is interested anymore,” he said, before branding them “dying art forms.”
The backlash was swift and, unfortunately for Chalamet’s campaign, star-studded. For the film industry, an establishment that often fancies itself as the glamorous custodian of the high arts, the actor’s comments didn’t just strike a bum note. They sounded like a discordant symphony. Academy heavyweights, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg, publicly voiced their disapproval. Spielberg himself countered that the “cinematic experience” and classical performance are bound by a similar dedication to audience engagement, effectively suggesting that Chalamet’s view was perhaps a bit too modern for its own good.
The conversation quickly became a media maelstrom. In a masterstroke of high-culture clapback, renowned ballerina Misty Copeland didn’t just issue a statement. The Academy even choreographed a surprise performance by her for the ceremony itself, a powerful, wordless rebuttal that many saw as a direct riposte to Chalamet’s dismissive claims. Even regional arts institutions joined the choreography. The Seattle Opera offered a cheeky “TIMOTHEE” discount, granting a 14 percent markdown to prove that people do, in fact, care.
Did this cultural counterpoint truly cost Chalamet his win? While some industry insiders argue that Michael B. Jordan’s complex dual performance in Sinners, a performance that also swept the SAG Awards, had simply built up too much momentum, the timing of Chalamet’s comments was undeniably poor. Coming as final Oscar voting began, they arguably soured his narrative and made a vote for him feel, to some, like a vote against artistic unity.
Even the ceremony itself wasn’t finished with the narrative. Host Conan O’Brien, whose sharp tongue is a celebrated feature of these galas, didn’t miss a beat. “Security is extremely tight tonight,” O’Brien jibed during his opening monologue, glancing toward the front row. “I’m told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities. They’re just mad you left out jazz!”
The laughter that followed was pointed, a final public curtain call for a controversy that Chalamet likely wished had closed weeks ago. Whether it was a case of genuine peer disapproval, a sudden surge in support for Jordan’s powerhouse performance, or simply a case of poor footwork on the campaign stage, the ballet and opera debacle has now cemented its place in Oscar history. Chalamet’s experience serves as a clear memo to future contenders. Even when you are the headline act, a solo performance can still fall flat if you forget to play to the entire house.
