A young German-French jury from TV5MONDE and the German-French Youth Office (GFYO) awarded today the independent prize for the sixth time at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival. This year, the film Gitti from Anna Deutsch received the prize. The „Dialogue en perspective“ was initiated in 2004 by the international francophone television channel TV5MONDE and the Berlinale, and is awarded in cooperation with the GFYO to a film from the section Perspektive Deutsches Kino.

The young jury of three German and four French film lovers aged between 18 and 29 selected which film will win the „Dialogue en perspective“. Lead by jury president and filmmaker Matthias Luthardt, the jury members watched the twelve films presented in the Berlinale-section Perspektive Deutsches Kino and discussed with passion which film impressed them the most and deserved the „Dialogue en perspective“.

The jury justifies their decision to award the prize to Gitti as follows:
„The jury awards the filmmaker Anna Deutsch for her film Gitti because she succeeds in drawing a very personal and at the same time humorous portrait of her main protagonist with simple means. Gitti is a documentary which is never voyeuristic. Thanks to its precise narrative form the viewers attention is drawn to the main characters from the beginning to the end.

A Special Mention goes to the film Polar from Michael Koch.
„The fragility expressed in Polar makes the film remarkable. Polar is a gentle and subtle film with casually narrated poetic moments with lasting effects. The film attests to a promising film directing talent“.

Some films of this year’s Perspektive Deutsches Kino - selection attracted the jury’s attention through very convincing acting performances. The jury especially congratulates two actors: Franziska Petri for her role of the teacher Karen in Für Miriam by Lars-Gunnar Lotz - her sensitive acting deeply moved the jury; and Jacob Matschenz, who plays the young Russian Dima in Fliegen from Piotr J. Lewandowski with a strong acting presence.

With the „Dialogue en perspective“ award, TV5MONDE and the GFYO above all want to encourage the young German-French exchange and the intercultural dialogue about German film and raise public interest in the new German productions.

The winning film will be presented on the Festival of the German Film in Paris in autumn 2009. Furthermore, TV5MONDE will finance the French subtitles of Gitti and promote the film through advertising in case of a release in Germany.

Synopsis winning film:
Fem. 69, dress size 14, un-granny-like, blonde, seeks male of similar age, non-smoking, non-drinking, at least 5'10", car-owner welcome. Gitti lives in the Berlin district of Pankow. She’s single but she knows exactly what she wants – particularly when it comes to men. Since she’s not had much luck in that department so far she decides to put an ad in the personals in order to find Mr Right. She receives quite a few responses – but then again, she also has quite a few criteria.