The German actress Sandra Hülser has won the European Film Prize for Best Actress. This was announced by the European Film Academy in Berlin. The 45-year-old received the award for her role in the legal thriller “Anatomy of a Case”. There she plays a successful writer under suspicion of murder. The work by French director Justine Triet also won the award for best European film of the year, as well as awards for directing and screenplay.
In her acceptance speech, Hülser, who lives in Leipzig, called on the audience to observe a moment of silence for peace in the world. It became very quiet in the hall. The German actress Leonie Benesch (“The Teacher’s Room”) and the Finnish Alma Pöysti (“Falling Leaves”) were also in the running for the award.
This year, Hülser was nominated twice in the best actress category, in addition to “Anatomy of a Case” and also for the drama “The Zone of Interest” about the family of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höß. Both films have previously received awards. “Anatomy of a Case” won the Palme d’Or in Cannes and “The Zone of Interest” won the Jury Prize.
“Since then it has been said that films win because of the Hülser effect,” one question said in an interview with SZ magazine with Hülser. “That’s not true,” she replied. “I do think I did a very good job, but I don’t think these films are so good solely because of me. Justine Triet wrote a perfect script and ‘The Zone of Interest’ is for me a work of art, a highly political one Film, an experiment. I can’t accept it.”
The Suhl-born actress had already received the trophy for best actress in 2016 for the tragicomedy “Toni Erdmann”. Critics give her good chances for the big film awards season in the USA – for example the Oscar. And the industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter asked the question at the beginning of September: “Sandra Hülser, actress of the year?”
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen was named best actor. The 58-year-old received the award for his role in the film “Bastards” by Nikolaj Arcel. There Mikkelsen plays the soldier Ludvig Kahlen, who wants to make the Jutland heath fertile for the Danish king.
The European Film Prize is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the industry. The 4,600 members of the European Film Academy were able to vote on the winners in a number of categories, similar to the Oscars in the USA.