Nelly & Nadine by Swedish director Magnus Gertten was handed the Jury Award at Berlinale’s Teddy Awards, held online 18 Feb. The film, which was also nominated for the Berlinale Documentary Award, tells the incredible love story of two women who fall in love with each other on Christmas Eve in 1944 in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.
The Teddy Awards jury statement: “This film exemplifies the necessity of queer history and queer collective memory of World War II while providing long-needed recognition of the forgotten victims and survivors of the Holocaust. It speaks about unmentioned lesbian biographies and unheard voices. To cover all of these areas of importance would prove difficult for most films, but with Nelly & Nadine and their extraordinary love that survived against all odds, we get this story of courage and resilience, told with grace, leaving a lasting impact on every viewer.”
Director Magnus Gertten, who was virtually present at the Teddy Awards commented: “My thanks first go out to the lovely team behind this film. This film is in every way a team effort. Then I would like to thank Berlinale, the Panorama section and the Teddy Award for giving this film such a perfect start on its journey through the world. Nelly & Nadine is a film about family secrets, survival and the mighty power of love. The love story between these two brave, female pioneers has been in the shadows for such a long time. It deserves to finally being brought into light. Hopefully Nelly & Nadine will be an inspiration to many of us, especially those who live in countries that do not respect human rights and LGBTQIA+ rights. In my dreams this film should be big in China, a country that really needs a film like this.”
Nelly & Nadine had its world premiere in Berlin’s Panorama section and is represented by Swedish based Auto Images and Rise and Shine (world sales and German distributor). It’s the third part of a trilogy that includes Gertten’s films Harbour of Hope (2011) and Every Face Has a Name (2015). So far Nelly & Nadine has sold to 10 countries. Click here to see the film’s trailer on the Berlinale Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cVi0gwobeg
For 36 years the Teddy Awards have been an integral part of the Berlinale. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the awards were held as a live-stream event. “The Teddy Awards combine a huge network of over 180 queer film festivals all over the world and bring global attention and international involvement to the nominated films,” say organisers.
