Srebrenica massacre drama shock winner in European Film Awards

Quo Vadis, Aida? – a harrowing dramatisation of botched UN efforts to prevent the Srebrenica massacre – was the shock winner of the Best Film at the 34th European Film Awards.

The film also secured the Best Director prize for Bosnian filmmaker Jasmila Zbanic and the Best Actress award for Jasna Duricic's depiction of a UN interpreter who pleads with her UN employers to intercept on behalf of her sons.

To date, the film has gained much critical traction. It was not, however, expected to lock out quite so many of the ceremony's big hitters. Julia Ducournau's audacious Titane, the winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes, was nominated in multiple categories – but scored just one win, in the Hair and Makeup category, at the awards ceremony on Saturday night.

Similarly, The Hand of God, Paolo's Sorrentino's achingly-autobiographical, Netflix-backed account of his teenage years and the arrival of Diego Maradona at Napoli, was shortlisted in three categories yet won nothing on the night. Compartment No 6, the delightful Finnish-Russian co-production that took home Grand Prix and Ecumenical Jury honours at Cannes, was also overlooked in three categories.

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Triumph over adversity was the big theme of the evening as the film industry celebrated its survival during challenging times. This is the second consecutive year in which the European Film Awards (EFAs) has been broadcast as a hybrid virtual event from Berlin, a decision that was taken in early December in response to rising Covid case numbers.

The city remains open for business, albeit for those who fulfil the 3D criteria. The rules are strict, effective, and consistent. Whether it’s a Christmas market, a restaurant, or the Computerspielemuseum, the customer is required to produce proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative Covid-19 test.

Thus, the lively ceremony was jollied-along by host Annabelle Mandeng, attended by only a few nominees, and featured Susanne Bier and Steve McQueen – winners of European Achievement in World Cinema and European Innovative Storytelling respectively – in a visibly socially-distanced front row.

Irish interest

At a time when many film awards strive to look like or predict the Oscars, the EFAs – even in a scaled-down presentation – is gloriously European, replete with continental solidarity, cheery national addresses ("Hello Norway! ") and slightly off-translations. ("You have a wonderful laughter" and "His crime? Is gay," both featured during the night's speeches.)

Irish and Kilkenny interests were pinned on Cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers, which lost out to Flee, one of the evening’s biggest success stories. Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated chronicle of a young Afghan refugee in the late 1980s, was named Best Documentary, Best Animated Feature, and Best European University Film.

There were multiple wins for The Father, which took home awards for Best Actor (director Florian Zeller accepted for an absent Anthony Hopkins) and Best Screenwriting.

Great Freedom, Sebastian Meise’s drama about gay men who survived a concentration camp only to find themselves incarcerated in a West German jail, won in the Best Original Score and Best Cinematography categories.

A pleasing innovation from the virtual ceremony was the inclusion of far-flung film clubs, from Estonia, Portugal and a Sami collective from the Arctic Circle. These and other movie fans all over Europe are now invited to vote for the Lux Audience Award. Three nominated films – Flee, Great Freedom, and Quo Vadis, Aida?– will be made available in all 24 EU languages. The polls close in May. See www.luxaward.eu

The winners:

EUROPEAN FILM 2021

QUO VADIS, AIDA?

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, The Netherlands, France, Poland, Norway, Germany, Romania, Turkey

Written and directed by Jasmila Zbanic

Produced by Damir Ibrahimovic & Jasmila Zbanic

EUROPEAN COMEDY 2021

NINJABABY

Norway

Directed by Yngvild Sve Flikke

EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2021-Prix FIPRESCI

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

USA, UK

Directed by Emerald Fennell

EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2021

FLEE

(FLUGT)

Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway

Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen

EUROPEAN ANIMATED FEATURE 2021

FLEE

(FLUGT)

Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway

Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen

EUROPEAN SHORT FILM 2021

MY UNCLE TUDOR

(NANU TUDOR)

Belgium, Portugal, Hungary, Moldova

Directed by Olga Lucovnicova

EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2021:

Jasmila Zbanic for QUO VADIS, AIDA?

EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2021:

Jasna Zurici for QUO VADIS, AIDA?

EUROPEAN ACTOR 2021:

Anthony Hopkins for THE FATHER

EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2021:

Florian Zeller & Christopher Hampton for THE FATHER

EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHY 2021

Crystel Fournier for GREAT FREEDOM

EUROPEAN EDITING 2021

Mukharam Kabulova for UNCLENCHING THE FISTS

EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGN 2021

Márton Ágh for NATURAL LIGHT

EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGN 2021

Michael O’Connor for AMMONITE

EUROPEAN HAIR & MAKE-UP 2021

Flore Masson, Olivier Afonso & Antoine Mancini for TITANE

EUROPEAN ORIGINAL SCORE 2021

Nils Petter Molvær & Peter Brötzmann for GREAT FREEDOM

EUROPEAN SOUND 2021

Gisle Tveito & Gustaf Berger for THE INNOCENTS

EUROPEAN VISUAL EFFECTS 2021

Peter Hjorth & Fredrik Nord for LAMB

EUROPEAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Márta Mészáros

EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA

Susanne Bier

EUROPEAN INNOVATIVE STORYTELLING

Steve McQueen for SMALL AXE

EURIMAGES CO-PRODUCTION AWARD 2021

Maria Ekerhovd

EUROPEAN YOUNG AUDIENCE AWARD 2021

THE CROSSING

(FLUKTEN OVER GRENSEN)

Norway

Directed by Johanne Helgeland

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY FILM AWARD 2021

FLEE

(FLUGT)

Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway

Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen

NOMINATED FOR THE LUX AUDIENCE AWARD:

FLEE

(FLUGT)

Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway

Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen

GREAT FREEDOM

(GROSSE FREIHEIT)

Austria, Germany

Directed by Sebastian Meise

QUO VADIS, AIDA?

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Netherlands, France, Poland, Norway, Germany, Romania, Turkey

Directed by Jasmila Zbanic