STORY: Turkish‑German director Ilker Catak won the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear top prize on Saturday night (February 21) with "Yellow Letters", a drama about what happens to a marriage under extraordinary political pressure.

The Turkish-language drama filmed in Germany stars Ozgu Namal and Tansu Bicer as a married actor and playwright who have to leave behind their comfortable lives after the husband is targeted by the Turkish state for posting critical content online.

"The real threat is not among us. It is out there. It's the autocrats. It's the right-wing parties. It's the nihilists of our time who try to come to power and destroy our way of living," said the producer of the film, Ingo Fliess.

"Let's not fight each other. Let's fight them," he added.

The festival maintained its reputation as the most overtly political of its peers, Venice and Cannes, with the war in Gaza in particular dominating public discussions about the films.

"If this Berlinale has been emotionally charged, that's not a failure of the Berlinale, and it's not a failure of cinema," said festival director Tricia Tuttle at the opening ceremony.

"That is the Berlinale doing its job," she added, using the festival's nickname.

German filmmaker Wim Wenders used his final appearance as jury president on Saturday to urge filmmakers and activists to act as allies, after his comment that filmmakers should not be political caused Indian novelist Arundhati Roy to pull out.

Turkish filmmaker Emin Alper, whose film "Salvation" took the second-place Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, voiced solidarity with the oppressed in Turkey, Syria, Iran and Gaza.

"The least we can do here is to break the silence and remind them that they are not really alone," he said.

German actor Sandra Hueller, who had won a Silver Bear in 2006 for "Requiem" and starred in 2024 Oscar-winning films "Anatomy of a Fall" and "Zone of Interest," continued her winning streak by taking home best actor for the period piece "Rose," in which she dresses as a man.

"Queen at Sea," a drama that follows French star Juliette Binoche as she deals with her mother's advanced dementia and its effects on her marriage, won two prizes: the third-place jury prize and best supporting actor, shared by its two elderly performers, Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay.

Director Grant Gee won best director for "Everybody Digs Bill Evans," a black-and-white biographical drama starring Norwegian actor Anders Danielsen Lie as the legendary U.S. jazz pianist.

"Nina Roza," about an art curator who returns to Bulgaria to verify whether a child painting prodigy is genuine, won best screenplay, while the documentary "YO (Love is a Rebellious Bird)" was honoured with a Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution.

In total, 22 films had been in the running for the top prize.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: BERLIN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 21, 2026) (IFB - Broadcast: Must courtesy “Berlinale / Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin”. For ceremony footage maximum 3 minutes (180 seconds) editorial use only per news bulletin in connection with the 2026 Berlinale or maximum 10 minutes per programme dedicated to reporting on the 2026 Berlinale, no new uses after April 30, 2026.

Digital: Must courtesy “Berlinale / Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin”. For ceremony footage maximum 3 minutes (180 seconds) editorial use only per news bulletin in connection with the 2026 Berlinale or maximum 10 minutes per programme dedicated to reporting on the 2026 Berlinale, maximum 60 seconds per post on social media platforms; distribution of the Stage Events via the video portal YouTube or comparable platforms is not permitted. No new uses after April 30, 2026.

1. JURY PRESIDENT OF THE 76TH BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL, WIM WENDERS, ANNOUNCING GOLDEN BEAR TOP PRIZE FOR "YELLOW LETTERS, REACTION OF FILMMAKER ILKER CATAK SEEN ON SCREEN

2. VARIOUS OF CATAK RECEIVING AWARD ON STAGE, PRODUCER INGO FLIESS PREPARING FOR ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRODUCER, INGO FLIESS, SAYING:

"It reminded me of the last few days here in Berlin. Filmmakers against other filmmakers, artists against creatives. But we are not enemies. We are allies. The real threat is not among us. It is out there. It's the autocrats, it's the right-wing parties. It's the nihilists of our time who try to come to power and destroy our way of living. Let's not fight each other. Let's fight them."

4. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FILMMAKER, ILKER CATAK, SAYING:

"Before I got here today, I did prepare a speech. It was political. But allow me to not engage in that speech right now, because so many people have said so many smart things and I want to leave the stage to the wonderful people that I made this film with, because they are the real heroes for this award. I would have never been able to make this film without them. I think the film speaks for itself in its political message, or questions rather. So please give it up for these incredibly talented, wonderful people right here."

6. CATAK ON STAGE WITH FILM TEAM APPLAUDING

7. JURY MEMBER, FILMMAKER REINALDO MARCUS GREEN, ANNOUNCING SILVER BEAR GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR "SALVATION"

8. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FILMMAKER, EMIN ALPER, (PARTLY OVERLAID WITH PICTURES OF AUDIENCE AND STAGE), SAYING:

"When you see that nobody cares about you and thinks about you, you become the loneliest person in the world. So the least we can do here is to break the silence and remind them that they are not really alone. The Palestinians in Gaza, living and dying in the most terrible conditions. You are not alone. The people of Iran suffering under tyranny. You are not alone."

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FILMMAKER, EMIN ALPER, (PARTLY OVERLAID WITH PICTURES OF AUDIENCE AND STAGE), SAYING:

"And the Kurds in Rojava and the Middle East, struggling for their rights for almost a century. You are not alone. And finally, my people. You are not alone."

11. JURY MEMBER, FILMMAKER HIKARI, ANNOUNCING JURY PRIZE FOR "QUEEN AT SEA"

12. HIKARI ON STAGE

13. HIKARI HANDING OUT AWARD TO FILMMAKER LANCE HAMMER

14. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FILMMAKER, LANCE HAMMER, READING NOTES FOR HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH, SAYING:

"Well, the Berlinale. I should have thanked you first. You're first on my list. But I was overwhelmed by them, so I'm sorry. To the Berlinale, thank you. Thank you for trusting us. Thank you, for supporting our film. Thank you having for having going to the mat for us when I know you had to. And I'm deeply grateful to you. And it's been a difficult year. You've endured a lot. We've endured a lot. The world's suffering terribly."

16. VARIOUS OF WENDERS HANDING OUT SILVER BEAR TROPHY FOR BEST DIRECTOR TO GRANT GEE ("EVERYBODY DIGS BILL EVANS" / GEE REACTING

17. JURY MEMBER, EWA PUSZCZYNSKA, ANNOUNCING SILVER BEAR TROPHY FOR BEST ACTOR FOR SANDRA HUELLER ("ROSE")

18. HUELLER HUGGING PUSZCZYNSKA ON STAGE

19. "ROSE" FILMMAKER, MARKUS SCHLEINZER, APPLAUDING

20. VARIOUS OF HUELLER RECEIVING SILVER BEAR

21. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

22. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, SANDRA HUELLER, (STARTING ON PICTURE OF CEREMONY), SAYING:

"It is no secret that I've been at this festival 20 years ago for the first time. It was my first film festival ever. I didn't know what it was and I thought I would die. But I didn't."

23. JURY MEMBER, BAE DOONA, ANNOUNCING SILVER BEAR TROPHY FOR BEST SUPPORTING ROLE FOR ANNA CALDER-MARSHALL AND TOM COURTENAY

24. VARIOUS OF CALDER-MARSHALL AND COURTENAY HUGGING ON STAGE / BAE HANDING OUT AWARD / COURTENAY AND CALDER-MARSHALL ASKING, IF THE HAVE TO CUT THE AWARD IN HALF

25. AUDIENCE LISTENING

26. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, TOM COURTENAY, (PARTLY OVERLAID WITH PICTURES OF CEREMONY), SAYING:

"Thank you. Thank you very much. Well, do we have it? Do we have to cut it in half, or do we get one each? Earth does, and I thank you. Thank you. And we're really quite a double act. So if there are any producers, film people out there who want to use us again, next time. Next time, can I be the one with dementia?

27. WENDERS LAUGHING

28. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, ANNA CALDER-MARSHALL, (PARTLY OVERLAID WITH PICTURES OF CEREMONY), SAYING:

"I think he's only saying that because he has less lines to learn."

29. JURY MEMBER, FILMMAKER MIN BAHADUR BHAM, ANNOUNCING SILVER BEAR TROPHY FOR BEST SCREENPLAY FOR GENEVIEVE DULUDE-DE-CELLES ("NINA ROZA") / REACTION OF DULUDE-DE-CELLES SEEN ON SCREEN

30. VARIOUS OF DULUDE-DE-CELLES RECEIVING AWARD

31. JURY MEMBER, FILMMAKER SHIVENDRA SINGH DUNGARPUR, ANNOUNCING SILVER BEAR TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION FOR ANNA FITCH AND BANKER WHITE ("YO (LOVE IS A REBELLIOUS BIRD)"

32. VARIOUS OF FITCH REACTING, WALKING TOWARDS STAGE

33. FITCH RECEIVING AWARD

34. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

35. VARIOUS OF HOST DESIREE NOSBUSCH HUGGING WENDERS ON STAGE

36. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JURY PRESIDENT, FILMMAKER WIM WENDERS, SAYING:

"Lately, we observe a dispute. Over which language should have the sovereignty of interpretation at this festival."

37. AUDIENCE LISTENING

38. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JURY PRESIDENT, FILMMAKER WIM WENDERS, SAYING:

"The language of cinema is empathetic. The language of social media is effective. We need to talk about that artificial discrepancy that happens here in Berlin. Activists are fighting mainly on the internet for humanitarian causes, namely the dignity and protection of human life. These are our causes as well."

39. (SOUNDBITE) (English), JURY PRESIDENT, TRICIA TUTTLE (PARTLY OVERLAID WITH PICTURES OF CEREMONY AND AUDIENCE APPLAUDING), SAYING:

"And I think we all need to hold the fact that we're living in a polarised moment and embrace the community that we build together because criticism and speaking up is part of democracy."

40. TUTTLE ON STAGE

41. (SOUNDBITE) (English), JURY PRESIDENT, TRICIA TUTTLE, SAYING:

"And if this Berlinale has been emotionally charged, that's not a failure of the Berlinale and it's not failure of cinema. That is the Berlinale doing its job and it is cinema doing its job.

42. (SOUNDBITE) (English), FILMMAKER ABDALLAH ALKHATIB, WINNER OF THE BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD IN THE PERSPECTIVES SECTION WITH "CHRONICLES FROM THE SIEGE", SAYING

"The Palestinian will be free. And one day, we will have a great film festival in the middle of Gaza, in the middle of other Palestinian cities. Our festival will stand in solidarity with the people living under the siege, under occupation, and under dictatorships around the world. We will speak about politics before cinema."

43. (SOUNDBITE) (English), FILMMAKER ABDALLAH ALKHATIB, WINNER OF THE BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD IN THE PERSPECTIVES SECTION WITH "CHRONICLES FROM THE SIEGE", SAYING

"We will remember everyone who stood with us, and we will remember every one who stood against us. Against our right to live with dignity, or who choose silence."

44. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

45. (SOUNDBITE) (English), HOST, DESIREE NOSBUSCH, SAYING:

"But I just think, you know, this is a platform here or a stage where we want to celebrate all the filmmakers that are here with us tonight and that came and that are looking forward to maybe getting an award. So if, I mean, dialogue, it's maybe not the right moment to have it right here, but please, we hear you definitely."

46. NOSBUSCH ON STAGE / AUDIENCE APPLAUDING