The Spanish film ‘Sirat’, by Óliver Laxe, and the Brazilian ‘The Secret Agent’, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, will be rivals in the category of best foreign film at the César awards, the most important French film awards, to be presented in Paris on February 26.
Both films will compete against the Chinese ‘Black Dog’ (Guan Hu), the American ‘One Battle After Another’ (Paul Thomas Anderson) and the Norwegian ‘Sentimental Courage’ (Joachim Trier).
The best film of the year in France for the César Academy will be decided between ‘Nouvelle Vague’ (which is the most nominated film of the 51st edition of these awards, with ten choices), ‘L’attachement’ (8), ‘Dossier 137’ (8), ‘La petite dernière’ (7) and ‘Un simple accident’ (2), which directed by Iranian Jafar Panahi was the winner of the Palme d’Or at the last Cannes Film Festival.
Nouvelle Vague’, the recreation of the filming of Jean-Luc Godard’s legendary ‘At the End of the Escape’ by American director Richard Linklater last year, aspired to awards in categories such as original screenplay or direction, as well as in multiple technical sections, but was not so successful in the main acting sections.
Also competing for best director are Carine Tardieu, for the intimate drama ‘L’attachement’; Dominik Moll for ‘Dossier 137’, about the police repression of the yellow vests protests; Hafsia Herzi for the LGTBI drama ‘La Petite Dernière’ and Stéphane Demoustier for ‘L’inconnu de la grande arche’.
Although it missed out on a place in the selection of the best films, this latest title – centered on the construction of the emblematic giant cube in the financial district of La Défense, on the outskirts of Paris – is another of the films of the year for the César Academy, with a total of 8 nominations.
The best actor award will be decided between Claes Bang (‘L’inconnu de la Grande Arche’), Bastien Bouillon (‘Partir un jour’), Laurent Lafittte (‘La Femme la plus riche du monde’), Pio Marmaï (‘L’attachement’) and Benjamin Voisin (‘L’Étranger’).
The best female performance award will go to Leïla Bekhti (‘Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan’), Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (‘L’attachement’), Léa Drucker (‘Dossier 137’), Mélanie Thierry (‘La Chambre de Mariana’) and Isabelle Huppert (‘La femme la plus riche du monde’).
In the animation category, there were two films that will also aspire to the Oscar next March, in a great success for French animation: ‘Arco’, Ugo Bienvenu’s debut feature film, and the French-Belgian ‘Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes’, by Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, which adapts the well-known novel by Amélie Nothomb.
The award ceremony will be held, as is traditional, at the Olympia theater in Paris, but one day earlier than originally planned.
Instead of being held as usual on the last Friday of February, the Academy announced on Wednesday, shortly before unveiling the list of nominees, that the final date will be Thursday, February 26.
The gala will be presided over by French actress Camille Cottin and will be hosted by fellow performer Benjamin Lavernhe.
According to Agencia EFE, a César of Honor will be awarded to U.S. comedian Jim Carrey.
Find out more at ‘QueOnnda.com’.