The 76th Berlin International Film Festival has opened with an emotional speech by Michelle Yeoh. The actress received the Golden Honorary Bear for her lifetime achievement and reflected on her late father. Out of competition, 'No Good Men' by Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat served as the opening film.
The Berlinale 2026 began in Berlin with the presentation of the Golden Honorary Bear to Michelle Yeoh. The 63-year-old Malaysian actress, known for films like 'Wicked' and 'Tiger and Dragon' as well as her 2023 Oscar for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once', delivered a moving speech. 'Please allow me this one moment', she said as tears flowed. She spoke of her late father: 'My father cannot experience this moment anymore', but his discipline and steadfastness are always with her. 'If he could see me standing here tonight, with this Golden Bear in my hands, he would smile, I know that.'
The audience gave a standing ovation. In his laudatory speech, director Sean Baker praised Yeoh as the ideal recipient for the festival, which has always celebrated 'bold voices'. She brought 'grace to danger, intelligence to action, and humanity to spectacle'. Yeoh emphasized the Berlinale's role in bold storytelling: In a divisive world, it is 'quietly radical' to share stories together in the cinema.
The opening featured 'No Good Men', a political drama about a camerawoman in Kabul who grows closer to a colleague just before the Taliban's return. Director Shahrbanoo Sadat, evacuated in 2021 and now living in Hamburg, created the film. The festival runs until February 22 with 22 films competing for the Golden Bear.
On the red carpet despite rain: Stars like Daniel Brühl, Iris Berben, Lars Eidinger, Matthias Schweighöfer, Ruby O. Fee, Neil Patrick Harris, and rapper Soho Bani. Protests highlighted the situation in Iran; Jasmin Tabatabai called it 'the darkest time'. Iris Berben warned of setbacks in the US: 'We must be vigilant, we must be resilient.' Others quoted Hannah Arendt against fascism.
The jury, led by Wim Wenders, introduced itself, but the livestream cut out during a Gaza question. The Berlinale cited technical issues. Wenders said: 'We must do the work of people and not the work of politicians.' Festival director Tricia Tuttle steered back to films.
