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Golden Bear at Berlinale 2012 goes to Italian movie ‘Cesar must die’

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Nazmun Nesa Piari from Berlin:
In reports during this year’s International Film Festival in Berlin
observers were emphasising that Dieter Kosslick, Director of the festival was betting on fresh blood.
Hindered to draw Hollywood star power he was focusing on presenting new discoveries, including German films and others from abroad from new, young film directors with political and social ambitions.
Berlinale seemed to concentrate its ambitions on fresh films addressing political issues.  All 18 of the films in the running for the Golden Bear were world
premieres and many of the movies shown in Berlin had recent revolutions in the Arab world as their theme.
But the international jury led by famous English director Mike Leigh
gave the prime award to Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, 80 and 82 years old brothers and directors from Italy. “Cesare dove morire” (Cesar must die) is a movie about William Shakespeare’s Tragedy “Julius Caesar”- put on stage by prisoners in an Italian high security prison. That is why no actors were present in Berlin as is normally the case.  The theatre film of the Tavianis begins with the finale applause and the happy faces of the actors.
But then men in uniform appear and lead the actors off stage. Brutus and Caesar, Marc Anton and Cassius are prisoners and we are inside of the Roman prison Rebibbia. When the heavy doors are closed behind them the men who just before have been celebrated for their performance are back in the loneliness of their cells.
The actor of Marc Anton says: “Since I have met with culture my cell has turned into prison.” The fascination of this movie lies in the authenticity of the prisoners turned lay-actors and the personal experience these murderers and mafiosi bring into the Shakespeare drama.
No one will forget when the two Italian directors in their speeches reminded the audience in Berlin that prisoners-whatever they have- done remain human beings.  The thoughts in the well-dressed and party-ready audience in Berlin’s
Festival House went to the prisoners’ alias actors in their dreary prison where their hearts have been opened by the magic of culture. n