“Anatomy of a Case” triumphs at the 36th European Film Awards

2023-12-10 05:49:04

And the big winner of the three and a half hour evening is “Anatomy of a Case” by Justine Triet. The courtroom drama secured the premier category of Best European Film and four other trophies.

The 45-year-old filmmaker Triet was honored as best director and won the screenplay prize together with her partner Arthur Harari. As in 2016, leading actress Sandra Hülser was awarded best actress at the European Film Awards for “Toni Erdmann”. And before the gala, the award for best editing had already gone to the film that was honored with the Palme d’Or in Cannes this year. “Anatomy of a Case” was able to turn each of its nominations into an award.

Sandra Hueller
Image: APA/AFP/ODD ANDERSEN

Thomas Schubert, however, was unable to convert his nomination for best actor into a statuette. The 30-year-old Viennese, who was in the running for his part of a grumpy young writer in Christian Petzold’s “Red Sky”, had to admit defeat to Hollywood star Mads Mikkelsen, who won with “Promised Land”. An Austrian directing team, however, was happy: the Total Refusal collective won the Best Short Film category with “Hardly Working”. Another red-white-red candidate had already secured his award and just had to officially pick up the trophy that evening: the musician Markus Binder was recognized as the winner in the film music category for his soundtrack to Jessica Hausner’s art house drama “Club Zero”.

The award for best documentary went to the co-production “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” by Anna Hints. The Estonian was extremely happy to thank her for the award with a traditional song of praise. Molly Manning Walker accepted the award for the best debut film for the gender questioning “How to Have Sex”.

The youth jury ultimately chose the British drama “Georgie” (“Scrapper”). And the Austrian Thea Ehre, who was honored as best actress at the Berlinale this year, presented the award for best animated film to “Robots Dreams” by Pablo Berger. Spanish director Isabel Coixet (“Florence Green’s Bookshop”) seemed to be particularly pleased with the prize for European achievements in world cinema: “Some people think – not me! – that the prize has a certain resemblance to a sex toy. Maybe the academy should hand out batteries next year – then the honor would be really useful.”

Vanessa Redgrave honored for life’s work

The 86-year-old British actress Vanessa Redgrave was awarded the European Lifetime Achievement Award in absentia, while the 68-year-old Hungarian film director Béla Tarr was moved to accept the honorary award from the President and Board of the European Film Academy with its approximately 4,600 members. After all, it is these filmmakers who decided on the other awards of the evening.

The European Film Prize, which has been awarded since 1988, is soon facing major changes as it wants to play a larger role in the film industry’s awards season. Therefore, with the next edition, the date of the gala will be moved from December to the beginning of the year. Next year the film award will take place again in December in Lucerne, then the award will be canceled in 2025. In January 2026 it will be Berlin’s turn again.

The winners

Best Feature Film: “Anatomy of a Case” by Justine Triet BEST DIRECTOR: Justine Triet for “Anatomy of a Case”
Best main actress: Sandra Hülser for “Anatomy of a Case”
Best Actor: Mads Mikkelsen for “Promised Land”
Best Screenplay: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari for “Anatomy of a Case”
Best Animated Film: “Robot Dreams” von Pablo Berger
Best Documentary: “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” von Anna Hints
Best Debut Film: “How to Have Sex” von Molly Manning Walker
Best short film: “Hardly Working” des Kollektivs Total Refusal
Young Audience Awards: “Scrapper” von Charlotte Regan

Previously awarded awards

Life’s work: Vanessa Redgrave
Honorary Award: Béla Tarr
Best Camera: Rasmus Videbæk for “The Promised Land”
Bester Soundtrack: Markus Binder for “Club Zero”
Best cut: Laurent Sénéchal for “Anatomy of Falls”
Best costumes: Kicki Ilander for “The Promised Land”
Best Makeup/Hairstyles: Ana López-Puigcerver, Belén López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé für “Die Schneegesellschaft”
Bester Ton: Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers for “The Zone of Interest”
Bestes Production Design: Emita Frigato for “La Chimera”
Beste Visual Effects: Félix Bergés and Laura Pedro for “The Snow Company”