Markus Söder at the Bavarian Film Prize: Kneeling in front of honorary award winner Uschi Glas

Actress Uschi Glas (80) received the honorary award at the 46th Bavarian Film Awards ceremony on Friday evening. It was presented by Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (58) himself. And not only that: the CSU politician got on his knees in front of the actress on stage.

At the event in the Prinzregententheater in Munich, the 80-year-old beamed in a golden-yellow glittering dress and was honored by Söder on stage as an actress and a person “who touches our souls.” Then he even went down on his knees in recognition and kissed Glas’s hand. “There was no need to kneel down,” said Uschi Glas afterwards and pleaded in her acceptance speech: “Let us defend our democracy.”

Prize winner Jella Haase (32), who was awarded the Bavarian Film Prize as best actress for her role in “Chantal in Fairy Tale” also shared a clear message. “I wish that Germany would wake up,” she said in her speech. The shift to the right in German politics “takes my breath away, my heart is racing,” said the actress.

She defends herself “from the depths of my heart” against “the normalization and trivialization of right-wing attitudes” and against “the brutalization of togetherness.” She further said that she would like “politics to stop fomenting supposed enemy images”. She received long applause for her appeal.

Other award winners of the evening were Christoph Maria Herbst (58), who was named best actor, the film “Woodwalkers” in the family entertainment category, “Sonnenplatz” by Aaron Arens as best young talent film, the directing award went to Ayşe Polat for “Im dead Winkel” and the screenplay award to Matthias Glasner for “Die”.