One of the most iconic directors in Hollywood is Martin Scorsese, who is now all set to receive the Honorary Golden Bear Lifetime Achievement Award at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.
The festival announced on Thursday that the filmmaker will receive the honour at an award ceremony held at the Berlinale Palast on February 20, 2024.
Leading the list of the greatest filmmakers in the history of world cinema, Scorsese has directed over 70 films, including iconic ones such as 'Taxi Driver,' 'Goodfellas,' 'The Age of Innocence,' 'The Aviator,' 'The Departed,' 'The Wolf of Wall Street' and 'The Irishman.'
As a cinephile, Scorsese, aged 81, has also contributed to film preservation, restoration and distribution of classic films. With his support towards The Film Foundation, the festival noted that he “is also very committed to historical film heritage."
Advertisement
The film festival’s directors, Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek said Scorsese is “an unmatched role model” for “anyone who considers cinema as the art of shaping a story in such a way that is both completely personal and universal," as per a report by Variety. “His films have accompanied our history as spectators and human beings, his characters have lived and grown within us, his view of history and mankind has helped us to understand and question who we are and where we come from,” they continued.
Upon receiving this award, he will join other prestigious winners such as Steven Spielberg, Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen and Dustin Hoffman.
Advertisement
His last directorial was ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,' which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone in the lead roles and has garnered more than USD 150 million at box offices worldwide. The film has been shortlisted for the 2024 Academy Awards in various categories. Additionally, it also attained a nine-minute-long standing ovation at its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
Scorsese's relationship with the Berlin Film Festival goes back years. He has visited Berlin on multiple occasions, showcasing his films like 'Raging Bull,' 'Gangs of New York,' and 'Shutter Island,' all screened outside the festival's competition. Additionally, his film 'Cape Fear' competed at Berlinale, back in 1992. Notably, his Rolling Stones concert film 'Shine a Light' served as the festival's opening night film in 2008. Furthermore, Scorsese's HBO documentary about the New York Review of Books titled 'The 50 Year Argument' was presented as a work in progress in 2014.
