German Film Wins Silver Leopard

Maria Kwiatowsky and Pinar Ercin won a joint best actress award for their roles in the German director Ayse Polat's "En garde," which also won the Locarno competition's silver prize. The film tells the story of Alice, a 16-year-old girl with a hearing disorder that amplifies sounds, and her fragile friendship with other girls at the Roman Catholic home her mother sends her to. The film is scheduled for German release on Oct. 28. The Italian movie "Private," directed by Saverio Costanzo, won Locarno's top prize.