Romanian film 'Child's Pose' wins Berlin Golden Bear

Director Calin Peter Netzer and producer Ada Solomon look at the Golden Bear award received for the Best Film for "Pozitia Copilului" (Child's Pose) at the 63rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin February 16, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

"Child's Pose", a Romanian drama about a domineering mother using her social position to try to save her son from jail, won the Golden Bear for best picture at the Berlin film festival on Saturday.

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The movie, directed by Calin Peter Netzer and starring Luminita Gheorghiu in the central role, had been among the favorites for the coveted prize, which extends the remarkable success of Romanian filmmakers on the European festival circuit.

The awards ceremony brought to a close the 11-day cinema showcase, where hundreds of movies were screened across Berlin and stars including Matt Damon, Nicolas Cage, Anne Hathaway, Jude Law and Catherine Deneuve walked the red carpet.

In "Child's Pose", Gheorghiu shines as the wealthy 60-year-old Cornelia, who attempts to buy off the poor family of a boy killed by her son in a road accident.

The veteran actress also appeared in Cristian Mungiu's "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days", a grisly abortion drama that put Romanian cinema firmly on the international map when it won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival in 2007.

"I'm still shell-shocked," Netzer told reporters after the ceremony. "I haven't quite woken up to this new reality. It will probably take a couple of days for it to sink in."

The big surprise on the night was the best actor award for Nazif Mujic, a Bosnian Roma who had to be convinced to play himself in "An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker" about his own experiences on the fringes of society.

The movie, a docu-drama directed by Danis Tanovic and made for 30,000 euros ($40,100), captured hearts in Berlin for its straightforward storytelling and moving account of the impoverished Mujic's desperate attempts to pay for his wife's emergency operation.