One of lime and another of sand at the European film awards for Spanish productions. El buen patrón, by Fernando León de Aranoa, has managed to win the award for best comedy, while Alcarràs, by Carla Simón, who was up for three awards, had no choice against the gale Ruben Östlund and El triángulo de la tristeza.
The winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival swept the 35th edition of the gala held this Saturday at the Harpa Auditorium in Reykjavik (Iceland) by winning Best Film, Direction, Screenplay and Best Actor for Croatian Zlatko Buric.
Going on stage, the producer of El buen patrón, Jaume Roures, stressed that the film "is a drama, not a comedy" and wished Simón luck, who has not been able to materialize any candidacy. The Spanish film, with six Goya awards, competed alongside the Icelandic Cop Secret, by Hannes Por Halldórsson, and the French La fracture, by Catherine Corsini.
If Östlund already triumphed five years ago, grabbing six statuettes with The Square, the director has repeated the feat this 2022 with his satire on the cult of money and beauty that shook Cannes on the day of its screening with scenes of vomiting starring millionaires in high sea. The filmmaker recalled in his thank you speech the South African actress and model Charlbi Dean, who plays an influencer in the film, who died last summer at the age of 32 due to a sudden illness.
The story about the last harvest of peaches from a family of farmers from Lleida that Alcarràs narrates aspired to three awards: film, screenplay and the European university award, which went to EO, by veteran Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski . The Minister of Culture, Natàlia Garriga, had traveled to the Icelandic capital to support the candidacy of Alcarràs, winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale.
Simón has been in the last few weeks in full promotion of his film in the Oscar race and aspires to eleven Goya awards. On December 21 it will be known whether or not the first cut of the Hollywood Academy passes. Almost all the American media take it for granted that the film shot in Catalan and with non-professional actors will achieve it. "In the end it turns out that we all have a town in our lives," says the director, who continues to find "many neighborhoods" wherever she travels - "suddenly you meet people in the United States who tell you that they grew up in a rural area, harvesting grapes...", he recounted in a meeting with the media prior to the ceremony.
It was not the first time that Carla Simón had opted for the European Film Awards. Her acclaimed debut in the feature film Summer 1993, was already nominated in the European Discovery category, an award that has been given since 2011 and recognizes the best European debut feature of the year. On that occasion it was 'Lady Macbeth', by William Oldroyd, who finally won the statuette.
Among the Spanish options for the award were also Penélope Cruz as best actress for her role in Madres paralleles, by Pedro Almodóvar. But she has been Vicky Krieps for the portentous reinvention of her as Sissi in Marie Kreutzer's The Rebel Empress, which has been recognized by academics. The Luxembourgish interpreter was really very excited at her appearance by videoconference. The other contenders were Zar Amir Ebrahimi for Holy Spider; Léa Seydoux for One fine morning, and Meltem Kaprsn for Rabiye. Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush.
On the stage of a very Nordic gala, with musical performances by the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, the Spanish actor Carlos Areces in a short T-shirt and shorts-underpants has climbed to present the first prize of the night, which has gone to the short film animated Granny's sexual live, by Urška Djukić and Emilie Pigeard from Slovenia. And another Spanish figure, the actress, singer and activist for the rights of the LGTBI collective, Jedet, has awarded Small body the European Discovery – Prix Fipresci award.
