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‘Caesar Must Die’ Wins Golden Bear: Berlin

By BRIAN BROOKS | Saturday February 18, 2012 @ 11:22am PSTTags: Berlin International Film Festival, Caesar Must Die

Italian film Caesar Must Die capped a good week, taking the Berlin International Film Festival’s top honor the Golden Bear as best film today. Yesterday, Adopt Films acquired U.S. distribution rights to the “semi-documentary,” set in Rome’s high-security Rebibbia prison and centering on the rehearsal, staging, and performing of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar — a production cast with actual prison inmates.

In other key awards handed out Saturday in the German capital, Hungarian director Bence Fliegauf’s Just The Wind won the second prize, the Silver Bear. The film takes a look at a group of Roma who face attack and discrimination. Caesar and Wind were two of 18 films competing at the 62nd Berlin festival, which kicked off February 9. Other winners include German director Christian Petzold, who took best director for his film Barbara; a Best Actress win for Rachel Mwanza in Rebelle (War Witch), by Kim Nguyen; and Best Actor for Mikkel Boe Følsgaard in En Kongelig Affære (A Royal Affair), by Nikolaj Arcel. The Silver Bear for Best Script went to Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg for Affair.

A couple of Sundance titles also took prizes: Matthew Akers’ Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present won the Audience Award in the Berlinale’s Panorama section, while Ira Sachs’ Keep The Lights On took the Teddy Award honoring the best gay-centered film. Here’s the complete list of winners:

GOLDEN BEAR FOR THE BEST FILM
Cesare deve morire (Caesar Must Die)
by Paolo & Vittorio Taviani

JURY GRAND PRIX-SILVER BEAR
Csak a szél (Just The Wind)
by Bence Fliegauf

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Christian Petzold for Barbara (Barbara)

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTRESS
Rachel Mwanza in Rebelle (War Witch) by Kim Nguyen

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTOR
Mikkel Boe Følsgaard in En Kongelig Affære (A Royal Affair) by Nikolaj Arcel

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Adopt Films Acquires U.S. Rights To Semi-Doc ‘Caesar Must Die’: Berlin

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday February 17, 2012 @ 11:57am PSTTags: Adopt Films, Berlin, Caesar Must Die

Adopt Films has announced its acquisition of all U.S. rights to Paolo and Vittorio Taviani’s “Caesar Must Die,” its second acquisition of a title competing for the Golden Bear at this year’s ongoing Berlin International Film Festival following Ursula Meier’s “Sister.”

“Caesar Must Die” is the latest and one of the most surprising entries to be co-directed by the Taviani Brothers. This revivifying effort is the latest chapter in a storied career that includes “Padre Padrone,” “The Night of the Shooting Stars,” “Good Morning, Babylon,” “Elective Infinities,” and “Kaos.”

“Caesar Must Die” was written by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani with the collaboration of Fabio Cavalli. It stars Cosimo Rega, Salvatore Striano, Giovanni Arcuri and Antonio Frasca. The deal was negotiated by Catia Rossi representing RAI Trade and Adopt’s Co-Managing Executive Tim Grady.

A fully scripted semi-documentary work, “Caesar Must Die” takes the audience behind the walls of Rome’s high-security Rebibbia prison for the rehearsal, staging, and performing of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, a production cast with actual prison inmates. Alternatively fierce and introspective, acted and experienced with abject reality, “Caesar Must Die” explores the transformative power of art even under the most dire and seemingly hopeless of circumstances.

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