“Touch Me Not” directed by Romanian young female director Adina Pintilie has been awarded the top Golden Bear prize at the Berlin International Film Festival 2018. The gala of the 68th edition of the prestigious film festival took place on Saturday evening. The movie, which follows the story of a woman who can’t bear to be touched, was chosen from among a range of 19 competitors by a jury led by German director Tom Tykwer.
Director Adina Pintilie has previously received the prize for the best debut for the same film.
“Touch Me Not” is a co-production Romania/Germany/Czech Republic/Bulgaria/France. Shot during ten weeks, during 2015-2017, boasting a mixed casting of professional actors (such as Tomas Lemarquis, Laura Benson) and real people, the film is a personal search which questions the prejudices we normally have on intimacy, as a fundamental aspect of the human existence, according to the Berlin’s Romanian Cultural Institute’s description.
38-year-old Adina Pintiliehas directed seven short films and two medium films. Productions such as “Nu te supăra, dar…” (2007) and “Oxigen/ Oxygen” (2010) have been presented in over 50 international festivals, while the “Balastiera#186” (2007) short, co-directed with George Chiper, has been shortlisted at Locarno film festival in 2008 and has won the silver at the Miami International Film Festival and special mention at Trieste festival in 2009.
“Congratulations to Adina Pintilie, the director of the film “Touch me not,” for winning the prestigious award “Golden Bear” at the International Film Festival in Berlin! Good luck with your future projects!,” wrote president Klaus Iohannis on his Facebook page on Sunday.
Other prizes at Berlin Film Festival
The award for best director was given to U.S. director Wes Anderson for “Isle of Dogs” – an animated movie about a Japanese city that deports its dogs to a garbage dump island during an outbreak of canine flu.
Anthony Bajon received the award for best actor for his performance in Cedric Kahn’s “La priere” (The Prayer) and Ana Brun received the best actress award for her role in Marcelo Martinessi’s “Las herederas” (The Heiresses).