BERLIN: Iranian dissident director Jafar Panahi won the Golden Bear top prize at the 65th Berlin film festival Saturday for “Taxi,” his third movie made in defiance of an official ban.
Panahi, who is outlawed from traveling abroad and was absent from the festival, appears on screen in the film as a Tehran cab driver, swapping stories with the denizens of the city.
A mounted dashboard camera allowed him to film in secret, away — at first — from the prying eyes of the state’s authorities.
The jury president, Hollywood director Darren Aronofsky, said Panahi had overcome restrictions that had the power to “damage the soul of the artist.”
“Instead of allowing his spirit to be crushed and giving up, instead of allowing himself to be filled with anger and frustration, Jafar Panahi created a love letter to cinema,” Aronofsky said.
“His film is filled with love for his art, his community, his country and his audience.”
Panahi was represented on stage by his young niece Hana Saeidi, who appears in the film, and she wept openly as she accepted the statuette.
“I’m not able to say anything, I’m too moved,” she said.
The Silver Bear prizes for acting went to Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay for their performances in the British drama “45 Years.”
Rampling noted that her father Godfrey had won a gold medal at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and that she had long dreamed of taking “the baton from him.”
“Well, I think this Bear has done the trick,” she said with a smile.
Courtenay later told reporters he was pleased to make a film featuring an older generation.
“There are lots more old actors than there used to be. We all live longer,” he said.
“There are bound to be films that reflect that.”
The slow-burn drama by Andrew Haigh shows a couple on the eve of their 45th wedding anniversary whose marriage begins to founder when the husband learns the body of his long-dead first love has resurfaced.
Chilean drama “The Club” by Pablo Larrain about defrocked paedophile priests given refuge from justice by the Roman Catholic Church claimed the runner-up jury prize.
Iran’s Panahi wins Berlin fest top prize
Iran’s Panahi wins Berlin fest top prize
Thai coffee chains cut default sugar content in coffee and tea drinks in a new health push
- The Health Department says Thais consume 21 teaspoons of sugar daily, far exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended six teaspoons
- Officials warn this increases obesity and diabetes risks. A survey found iced coffee and bubble tea contain high sugar levels
BANGKOK: For many Thais, a meal doesn’t feel complete without an iced coffee or tea so sugary it could pass for dessert. The government, concerned about the health consequences, wants them to dial it back.
Starting Wednesday, nine major coffee chains across the country have pledged to cut the default sugar content in some of their drinks by half in a government initiative aimed at tackling excessive sugar consumption.
According to the Health Department, Thais consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar per day, more than three times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of six teaspoons. Health officials warn that such high intake increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
The initiative is the first significant step to change consumers’ sugar consumption behavior, said Amporn Benjaponpitak, the director general of the department.
Pakorn Tungkasereerak, the department’s deputy, said 2025 data show that about 45 percent of Thais aged 15 and older are obese, while 10 percent of the population has diabetes.
A survey by the Bureau of Nutrition found that a 22-ounce (650-milliliter) iced coffee contains an average of nine teaspoons of sugar, while a 10-ounce (300-milliliter) serving of bubble milk tea — an iced milk tea with tapioca pearls known as boba — can contain as much as 12 teaspoons.
Sirinya Kuiklang, an office worker, said she approves of the changes. She already orders her drinks at just 25 percent of the standard sugar level, but she is aware that many others consume too much sugar.
“It’s good for Thai people,” she said.
Another office worker, Porwares Tantikanpanit, said he has enjoyed his non-coffee beverages at their current sugar levels but is willing to adjust if shops reduce the sweetness.
However, putting the policy into practice may prove challenging. Officials have said each brand can apply the initiative as they see fit.
Some customers have expressed confusion in response to social media posts promoting the initiative, asking how to order drinks with the level of sweetness that they prefer. Several brands said that the reduction applies only to certain menu items.
