Veteran directing duo Paolo and Vittorio Taviani scooped the Golden Bear at the 62nd International film festival in Berlin, known as the Berlinale, on Saturday.

The Italian brothers convinced the jury, led by British director Mike Leigh, with their black-and-white documentary drama "Cesare deve morire" (Caesar must die). The film follows a group of convicts, including murderers and Mafiosi, as they rehearse for a jail performance of "Julius Caesar."

The Silver Bear, also called the Jury Grand Prix, went to Hungarian drama "Just the Wind", directed by Benice Fliegauf and based on the real-life murder of a Roma family.

German director Christian Petzold took home the best director prize for German Cold War drama "Barbara," which many believed would scoop the top prize. The film tells the story of a doctor, who plots her escape from communist East Germany in 1980 with her boyfriend, only to fall in love with another man, which forces her to decide between freedom and love.

Rachel Mwanza from DR Congo won best actress for her debut performance as a child soldier in the harrowing Canadian film "War Witch".

"A Royal Affair", based on a real-life 18th century royal scandal in Denmark, scooped two prizes - best actor for Mikkel Boe Folsgaard as the deranged king and best screenplay for co-writers Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg.

The Berlinale is the first major European film festival of the year.

ng/ccp (Reuters, dpa, AFP)