Finance
Marriage drama "Yellow Letters" wins Berlin Film Festival's top prize
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 21, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 21, 2026
Tags:global economy
Quick Summary
Yellow Letters won the 2026 Berlinale’s Golden Bear, with jury head Wim Wenders lauding its political urgency. Other winners included Salvation, Queen at Sea, Rose and Grant Gee’s Everybody Digs Bill Evans.
(Corrects attribution in paragraph 3 to Ingo Fliess from Ilker Catak)
BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - "Yellow Letters," a drama about what happens to a marriage under extraordinary political pressure, won the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear top prize on Saturday night.
The Turkish-language drama set in Germany stars Ozgu Namal and Tansu Bicer as a married actor and playwright who lose their jobs and have to leave behind their comfortable lives after the husband is targeted by the Turkish state for posting critical content online.
"The real threat is not among us. It is out there. It's the autocrats. It's the right-wing parties. It's the nihilists of our time who try to come to power and destroy our way of living," said producer Ingo Fliess.
"Let's not fight each other. Let's fight them," he said.
(Reporting by Miranda MurrayEditing by Peter Graff)
Key Takeaways
- •Turkish‑language drama Yellow Letters wins the Golden Bear at the 76th Berlinale.
- •Director Ilker Çatak highlights themes of censorship and authoritarian pressure.
- •Jury president Wim Wenders praises the film’s clear stance on totalitarian rhetoric.
- •Other top awards: Salvation takes Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize; Queen at Sea earns Jury Prize and supporting performance honors.
- •Sandra Hüller wins best leading performance for Rose; Grant Gee takes best director for Everybody Digs Bill Evans.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marriage drama "Yellow Letters" wins Berlin Film Festival's top prize
1What is the main topic?
A Turkish‑language drama titled Yellow Letters won the Golden Bear at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival. The piece also covers other key winners and the event’s politically charged backdrop.
2Who directed Yellow Letters and what is the film about?
It was directed by Turkish‑German filmmaker Ilker Çatak. The story follows an artist couple whose lives are upended after political pressure and censorship target their work.
3Which films won other major awards?
Emin Alper’s Salvation took the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, Lance Hammer’s Queen at Sea won the Jury Prize and supporting performance honors, and Grant Gee won best director for Everybody Digs Bill Evans.
