Award
César Film Awards: Drama “Lost Illusions” is best film
Australian-American actress Cate Blanchett received an honorary César. Photo: Thibault Camus/AP/dpa
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The historical film “Lost Illusions” wins the award for best film, the dementia drama “The Father” the trophy for best foreign film. There were not only tears of joy at this year’s César award.
The historical film “Lost Illusions” by Xavier Giannoli won the César for best film. The prestigious award was presented in the evening in the famous Olympia concert hall in Paris.
The drama is about a young provincial poet who discovers the scenes of power and the propaganda press in Paris. The film by the 49-year-old director (“Madame Marguerite or the Art of Wrong Sounds”) has also been awarded six other trophies, including the best adapted screenplay.
“The Father” as best foreign film
The rock opera «Annette» by Leos Carax won the prize in the Best Director category, receiving a total of five awards. In addition to the trophy for best sound, the art house master’s film also won the award for best original music, which comes from the US rock and pop band Sparks.
The film “The Father” by French film director Florian Zeller won the César for best foreign film. It is about a retired engineer suffering from dementia. The drama also won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay in 2021, with Anthony Hopkins, who stars in the film, receiving the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Honorary César for Cate Blanchett
The Honorary César went to Australian-American actress Cate Blanchett. The trophy was presented to the 52-year-old by Isabelle Huppert. Blanchett has appeared in many major film productions, including Martin Scorcese’s Aviator. In 2014, she received the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in the Woody Allen film “Blue Jasmine”.
Homage was paid to film legend Jean-Paul Belmondo, who died in 2021, and Gaspard Ulliel, who died in a skiing accident. French-Canadian director, actor and friend Xavier Dolan tearfully read a text he had written in memory of the 37-year-old, who died in mid-January.
The César, named after the sculptor César Baldaccini, is the French version of the Oscar film awards. It has been awarded since 1976.