Silver Bear for Hungarian horse

Veteran film director Bela Tarr has scooped the Silver Bear at this year's Berlinale.

The Turin Horse, a sombre, black and white study of an ageing peasant and his steed enthralled critics at the film festival.

Tarr, who is not overly advanced in age at 55, nevertheless claims that this is his last foray into film-making.

The win provides at least some consolation for Hungary's crisis-ridden film industry, although it's unlikely that Tarr's contemplative film will bring in the big bucks needed to revitalise the business.

According to the director, the inspiration for the film came from Nietzsche, who as legend has it, leapt to the defence of a carriage horse that was being mercilessly whipped by its owner.

Tarr is famed for using long, drawn out shots, often lasting over twelve minutes at a time. His style is the complete antithesis of the Hollywood model, which commonly holds an image for a few seconds before whisking the viewer to the next shot.

"It is a shame to think of this heroically uncompromising director shutting up shop, said Jonathan Romney of Screen. But if he does, The Turin Horse is a magnificent farewell."