DESIGN and ART MAGAZINE

Tuesday, 17 February 2026

76th Berlin International Film Festival: Dua Lipa on the Red Carpet in Black and White by Andrea Heinsohn

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Monday, 16 February 2026

Licence to Thrill? Dua Lipa and Callum Turner Turn Up the Heat on a Wintry Valentine's Night at the Berlin Film Festival

Dua Lipa made a surprise appearance on the red carpet in Berlin with Callum Turner during the film festival. Photograph and cover picture by Jay Zoo for DAM

On a snowy Valentine’s night, the 76th Berlin International Film Festival delivered one of its most magnetic red carpet moments. As flakes fell outside the Berlinale Palast, Dua Lipa stepped out in support of her fiancé Callum Turner for the world premiere of Rosebush Pruning, transforming a major cinematic debut into a display of star power, romance and rising career momentum on one of Europe’s most influential film stages. Story by Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Photography by Jay Zoo

The couple openly showed their affection for

each other on the red carpet on Valentine's night.

THE world premiere of Rosebush Pruning was a study in contrasts: biting satire on screen and unabashed romance on the red carpet. At the Berlinale Palast, cameras flashed as Dua Lipa arrived in support of her fiancé, Callum Turner, turning the film debut into one of the festival’s most talked-about arrivals.

Dua Lipa, fresh from the global sweep of her Radical Optimism tour, cut a striking figure in a sheer black lace gown, its sculptural neckline and delicate crochet detailing offset by a sleek centre-parted bun and diamond choker. Turner opted for understated tailoring in a relaxed brown suit with a pale shirt and tie. Their ease with one another, clasped hands, whispered exchanges, a quick kiss before Turner faced the photographers solo provided a moment of warmth against Berlin’s winter chill.

Inside, the focus shifted firmly to the film. Directed by Brazilian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz, Rosebush Pruning is a sharp-edged satire centred on four privileged American siblings unraveling under the weight of inheritance, denial and long-buried family secrets. Turner leads an ensemble that includes Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Elle Fanning, Tracy Letts and Pamela Anderson, a cross-generational cast that underscores the film’s themes of legacy and disintegration.

At the Berlinale Palast, cameras flashed as Dua Lipa arrived in support of her fiancé, Callum Turner, turning the film debut into one of the festival’s most talked-about arrivals.

The press corps taking pictures of the pair

with rows of excited fans in the background/

Earlier in the day, Turner fielded inevitable questions about persistent speculation linking him to the next James Bond. With a measured smile, he declined to engage, allowing Letts to deflect the moment with humour. The exchange only heightened the sense that Turner’s career is entering a pivotal chapter, one defined less by rumour than by increasingly ambitious roles.

Yet on this particular evening, professional momentum shared the spotlight with personal devotion. Lipa’s presence was not billed in advance, and her decision to step back after their joint photographs ensured the premiere remained Turner’s night. In a festival known for political cinema and industry deal-making, Rosebush Pruning’s debut offered something simpler but no less potent: a reminder that, even amid satire about fractured families, romance can still command the frame.

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Sunday, 15 February 2026

Berlin International Film Festival: Michelle Yeoh Awarded the Honorary Golden Bear

In Berlin at a special photocall the next day, Michelle Yeoh showed her Golden Bear award she had been presented with the evening before. Photograph (above) by Jay Zoo. Cover picture by Andrea Heinsohn for DAM,

Michelle Yeoh was honoured with the Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, marking a historic first as the award’s first Asian female recipient. The accolade recognizes a four-decade career that has spanned Hong Kong action cinema, Hollywood blockbusters and Oscar-winning drama, cementing her status as one of the most influential and enduring figures in contemporary film, writes Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Photography by Jay Zoo

On the red carpet at the Berlinale,

Michelle Yeoh wearing an elegantly

svelte Giorgio Armani gown

RECIEVING the Berlinale’s highest lifetime achievement honour, Michelle Yeoh was awarded the Honorary Golden Bear during a glamourous presentation at the festival’s opening ceremony. Acclaimed American filmmaker Sean Baker introduced Yeoh to a packed auditorium.

Baker, who recently collaborated with the actor on the short film Sandiwara, described her as a “once-in-a-generation screen presence” whose work has consistently elevated the medium. He praised her commitment to artistic integrity and her refusal to be confined by stereotype or expectation.

Visibly moved as she accepted the Golden Bear, Yeoh balanced humour with reflection. She joked about future collaborations with Baker before turning to a deeply personal note, speaking of her late father and the values of discipline and perseverance he instilled in her. “If something is worth doing, it is worth doing properly,” she said, crediting that philosophy for sustaining her four-decade career.

Yeoh emphasised that the award represented not a single performance but a body of work shaped by persistence. Born in Malaysia, she first gained prominence in Hong Kong action cinema before transitioning to international productions.

American director Sean Baker described Michelle Yeoh as a “once-in-a-generation screen presence” whose work has consistently elevated the medium.

Michelle Yeoh strikes a pose the day after

her award in Berlin in front of her fans.

Her breakthrough into global mainstream audiences included roles in films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the James Bond instalment Tomorrow Never Dies. In 2023, she made history at the 95th Academy Awards, becoming the first Malaysian and first Asian woman to win Best Actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Speaking to press in Berlin, Yeoh declined to comment on U.S. political matters, stating she preferred to focus on cinema. She defended the enduring relevance of the theatrical experience, describing it as a shared space where audiences “open their hearts and free their minds.”

She also addressed representation in Hollywood, acknowledging that progress for Asian actors has been hard won. Projects such as Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once, she noted, were initially viewed as commercial risks. Their success, she argued, demonstrated that global audiences are ready for broader storytelling.

As the audience rose in a sustained standing ovation, Yeoh held the Golden Bear close. The honour, she said, symbolised resilience and a reminder that artists who persist can reshape the industry itself.

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Saturday, 14 February 2026

76th Berlin International Film Festival Red Carpet Opening Gala

Michelle Yeoh on the red carpet on the opening night of the Berlin Film Festival, with husband Jean Todt, where she was awarded the prestigious Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement. She is the first Asian woman to receive it. Photograph (above) by Jay Zoo and cover picture by Andrea Heinsohn for DAM

On a cold, rain-soaked Berlin evening, the 76th Berlin International Film Festival opens with umbrellas aloft and flashbulbs cutting through the mist outside the Berlinale Palast. Despite the winter chill, the red carpet hummed with energy for the Opening Gala, the premiere of No Good Men, and the presentation of the Honorary Golden Bear to Michelle Yeoh. The weather did little to dampen the sense of occasion. Our photographers Andrea Heinsohn and Jay Zoo braved the elements to capture it all.

Wim Wenders, the president of the international

jury of the film festival, with wife Donata.

Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

THE Berlinale opened with the kind of ceremony that reminds the industry why it remains one of cinema’s most politically attuned and publicly engaged stages.

At the Berlinale Palast, flashbulbs fractured the winter dark as filmmakers, actors and producers gathered to mark the start of ten days that will celebrate and interrogate the state of world cinema.

Festival Director Tricia Tuttle and International Jury President Wim Wenders lead the proceedings, formally declaring the festival open before introducing a jury that reflects the Berlinale’s global reach.

The presentation of the Honorary Golden Bear to Michelle Yeoh provided the evening’s emotional apex. One of the most versatile actors of her generation, Yeoh is honoured not only for a body of work that bridges continents and genres, but for reshaping what international stardom looks like in the 21st century. Academy Award–winner Sean Baker delivered the tribute, underscoring the festival’s commitment to bold, independent voices.

The gala culminated in the world premiere of No Good Men, the opening film by award-winning Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat. Its debut set an immediate tone: politically resonant, assured and unafraid of complexity. As the cast joined Sadat on stage, the Berlinale signals its priorities, cinema as witness, as provocation, as dialogue.

On the red carpet, Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner, Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer and an international guest list spanning auteurs, actors and emerging talents underline the festival’s dual identity: civic and artistic event and global marketplace. With 22 films now in competition and the awards set for February 21, the 2026 Berlinale began with an exciting opening crescendo. ~ Jeanne-Marie Cilento

Scroll down to see the highlights from the red carpet on the opening night of the Berlin Film Festival