AUSTRIAN MICHAEL Haneke picked up three awards for his critically-acclaimed Das Weiße Band (The White Ribbon)at the European Film Awards on Saturday.
The film, a compelling study of violence and repression in Kaiser-era Germany, managed an impressive hat-trick, winning Haneke prizes for best film, best director and best screenplay.
“I’m stunned, I’m overwhelmed,” said Haneke as he collected the best film trophy. He called his film “truly a European production”, with finance and creative contributions from Germany, Austria, France and Italy. The film won the Palm D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May and is Germany’s official foreign film entry for next year’s Academy Awards.
At the European Film Academy's 22nd annual ceremony in the western city of Bochum, Britain's Kate Winslet won the best actress award for her performance in The Reader. Newcomer Tahar Rahim won the best actor award for his role in prison drama A Prophet.
The people's choice award, voted for by European cinema goers, went to Slumdog Millionaire. French actress Isabelle Huppert was presented with a lifetime achievement award, as was British director Ken Loach.
Founded in 1988 to promote European film, the awards are held every other year in Berlin. This year’s awards were held in a former gas power station in Bochum, at the centre of Germany’s Ruhr industrial heartland.
Loach used his acceptance speech to call for more public funding to ensure European films find a larger audience in Europe.
“The sad fact is most of the films tonight will not be seen in large areas in Europe,” he said. “That’s certainly true in my country unless you live near an art-house cinema.” He called on European politicians to follow America’s lead and intervene in free trade talks to “protect our cinema”.