Berlin International Film Festival 1953
The 1953 Berlin International Film Festival took place from June 18 to June 28, 1953.
Summary
For the first time, the international visitors to the festival became aware of what a politically tense place it is taking place in: One day before the Berlinale was to be officially opened, there was a workers' uprising in the eastern part of the city . The festival was not canceled, but a shadow lay over the festival from the start. 20 percent of the seats in the cinemas had been reserved for visitors from East Berlin , who were now prevented from visiting the festival by barriers at the sector border. Some stars from the USA canceled their visit at short notice, otherwise in the end the financial losses were the only negative impact of the political crisis on the festival.
Before the Berlinale began, there had already been a dispute over the money: In December 1952, the Berlin Senate decided to make substantial cuts in the budget of the film festival. The Senator for Finance criticized the management of the film festival and, contrary to previous agreements, limited the contract of festival director Alfred Bauer . Bauer took this as an affront and stepped back. Only tough mediation talks led to most of the cutbacks being withdrawn, whereupon Bauer also withdrew his notice.
One of the stars of the festival was Gary Cooper , who criticized the anti-communist Senator Joseph McCarthy in front of the press , criticism that at this historic point in time was mixed up in Berlin. For the second time, the winning films were decided by audience voting alone. The Golden Bear went to Wages of Fear (Le salaire de la peur) by Henri-Georges Clouzot , a decision that was universally welcomed. Jacques Tati's bizarre comedy The Holidays of Monsieur Hulot (Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot) received a lot of attention but failed to win a prize. For the third time in a row, the German festival entries failed the audience and the press.
competition
The winning film is highlighted in orange.
Award winners
Golden bear
- Reward for fear
Silver bear
- The green secret
Bronze bear
- They found a home
Special award from the Berlin Senate
- Where the chimneys are (Entotsu no mieru basho)
- The Song of Treason (Processo alla città)
- The man on a tightrope
literature
- Wolfgang Jacobsen: 50 Years of the Berlinale - International Film Festival 1951–2000