Iris Berben opens anniversary festival: Cinema as a meeting place in Palma

Iris Berben opens anniversary festival: Cinema as a meeting place in Palma

15th Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival begins with recognitions and a call for cultural freedom

The Congress Palace in Palma felt on Wednesday evening like a warm hearth in the cool October night: around 1,000 guests, the soft click of heels on the marble floor and outside the familiar mix of taxi horns and the aroma of coffee from the Passeig street cafés. It was the 15th opening gala of the Evolution Film Festival, and the mood swung between celebratory cheer and sober attentiveness.

At the start of the evening those present remembered the victims of the serious train accident on the Spanish mainland, which is why many political representatives stayed away. Nevertheless, the evening was not cancelled but redirected into a celebration that placed the work of filmmakers at its center. The hosts guided the programme with a steady hand and repeatedly reminded the audience why culture needs space to be heard.

Festival director Sandra Lipski used the stage not only for greetings but also for a brief look back: the Evolution Film Festival was born because someone on Mallorca could not find a suitable playground and decided to create one. Over more than a decade that idea has become a meeting place where international names and local filmmakers alike gain visibility.

Special recognition was given that evening to two awardees: US cinematographer Matthew Libatique received a prize for his cinematic work. He is known for long collaborations with directors from American auteur cinema. The festival thereby honored the art behind the camera — those whose lighting and visual design often set the decisive tone of a film.

The Icon Award for lifetime achievement was accepted by actress Iris Berben. She described her profession as an ongoing search that still presents new challenges even at an advanced age. On stage she did not spare praise for those who are rarely in the spotlight: costume designers, lighting technicians, craft teams and the catering staff were mentioned by name — a small but sincere gesture toward all the contributors without whom no film would exist.

A central theme of her address was the vulnerability of cultural free spaces. She urged not only to defend culture but to actively promote it and to oppose any form of political interference that would thin out artistic work. Her speech was less a theoretical warning than a call to community: cinema brings people together, enables understanding of the unfamiliar and gives space to voices that would otherwise be unheard.

After the tributes, screenings of selected films were on the programme to round off the evening with what the festival celebrates most — cinema itself.