German actress Sandra Hüller won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival 2026 for her role as a woman disguising herself as a man in the film Rose.

Accepting the award on the evening of February 21 in Berlin (early morning February 22 in Hanoi), Hüller said she had not prepared a speech and thanked the cast and crew for accompanying her on the journey. Rose, directed by Markus Schleinzer, is set in rural Germany in the 17th century. The film follows a woman who disguises herself as a man and moves to a remote village, where she struggles to integrate while facing suspicion from the local community.

Critics widely praised Hüller’s performance. Variety described her acting as both restrained and powerful, revealing deep vulnerability beneath a composed exterior. Screen International called her portrayal “extraordinary,” while Germany’s Der Spiegel hailed Rose as a victory for Hüller, labeling her an exceptional actress.

Born in 1978 in Suhl, Germany, Hüller studied acting at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. She gained international recognition for her leading role in Toni Erdmann and received an Academy Award nomination in 2024 for her performance in Anatomy of a Fall.

This marks Hüller’s second win at the Berlinale, following her Best Actress award in 2006 for Requiem. On stage, she amused the audience by recalling her first time being called up at the festival, joking that she had no idea what the event was and feared her career might be over.

The Golden Bear for Best Film went to Yellow Letters by director İlker Çatak, a politically charged drama about a Turkish screenwriter and actress targeted by authorities for their dissenting theater work. Çatak became the first German director in 22 years to win the festival’s top prize, since Fatih Akin took the honor in 2004 with Head-On.

Other major awards included Best Director for Grant Gee (Everybody Digs Bill Evans) and Best Supporting Performance for Anna Calder-Marshall and Tom Courtenay in Queen at Sea.

One of the world’s three oldest major film festivals—alongside Cannes and Venice—the Berlinale ran from February 12 to 22 this year, selling more than 340,000 tickets. According to Deadline, the 2026 edition concluded amid intense debate over political themes, with festival director Tricia Tuttle noting at the opening ceremony that Berlinale was taking place “in a wounded and divided world,” while remaining open to diverse reactions and controversy.