the Cesar Awards,”Un Prophete” (A Prophet) won the night’s big prizes
The Cesar Awardswere held Saturday night “Un Prophete” (A Prophet) won the night’s big prizes.Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet” stole the show at the 35th Cesar Awards, winning nine kudos out of 13 nominations, including film, director, actor and original screenplay.
Produced by Chic Films and Why Not, “A Prophet” is an Oscar contender for best foreign film.
“A Prophet’s” breakout star Tahar Rahim snatched up two awards — actor and breakthrough performance — for his role as 19-year-old small-time hood who becomes a mafia kingpin behind bars.
“At the beginning I was extremely nervous and intimidated because I was aware the film was a big machine,” said Rahim. “But at one point, the mental block just disappeared.”
Rahim, who already nabbed an European Film nod this year, beat out strong contenders, notably Rapt’s Yvan Attal and Francois Cluzet, who was nommed twice in the best actor category for “In The Beginning” and “One for the Road.”
French-Algerian scribe Abdel Raouf Dafri nabbed original screenplay for “A Prophet,” along with Nicolas Peufaillit, Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain.
“More than any other films I’ve directed, making a ‘A Prophet’ was very challenging and tedious,” said Audiard, who had faced resistance to cast mainly unknown actors for his $17 million-prison drama. “Seeing Tahar’s victory tonight reminds me of my initial objective for this film, which was to let audiences discover the new faces of French cinema.”
Nominated for nine awards, underdog immigrant drama “Welcome” was also expected to dominate kudo affairs,but was snubbed. Philippe Lioret’s character driven drama nabbed best picture honors at the Lumiere Awards, France’s version of the Golden Globes earlier this year.
Isabelle Adjani won best actress her role as a professor on takes her students hostage in controversial pic “Skirt Day,’ which marked her comeback to the bigscreen after a five-year break.
“It’ s a tiny film which deals with a taboo subject,” said Adjani of the high school-set drama. “And it took a deep passion and conviction to believe in it when no one wanted to produce or distribute it.”
Other winners included Stephane Brize’s “Mademoiselle Chambon” for adapted screenplay and comicbook-based comedy Riad Sattouf’s “The French Kissers” for the debut film prize
Emmanuelle Devos, who previously won best actress for Jacques Audiard’s “Read My Lips” took best supporting actress.
In the foreign film category, Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino” beat out James Cameron’s box office tsunami “Avatar” and Palme d’Or winning film “The White Ribbon.”
Hollywood was well repped at the French ceremony with Sigourney Weaver presenting her “Working Girl” co-star Harrison Ford with the honorary Cesar award.
“You are never the superhero. . .even in the blockbusters, you remain unpredictable,” said Weaver on stage, speaking half-French, half-English. “No one in your generation comes close.”
And the winners are:
DIRECTORJacques Audiard, “A Prophet” ACTOR
Tahar Rahim, “A Prophet” ACTRESS
Isabelle Adjani, “Skirt Day” BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, ACTOR
Tahar Rahim, “A Prophet” BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, ACTRESS
Melanie Thierry, “One for the Road” SUPPORTING ACTOR
Niels Arestrup, “A Prophet” SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emmanuelle Devos, “At the Beginning” FIRST FILM
“The French Kissers,” Riad Sattouf ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Abdel Raouf Dafri, Nicolas Peufaillit, “A Prophet” ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Stephane Brize, Florence Vignon, “Mademoiselle Chambon” CINEMATOGRAPHY
Stephane Fontaine, “A Prophet” FOREIGN FILM
“Gran Torino,” Clint Eastwood ORIGINAL SCORE
Armand Amar, “The Concert” COSTUME DESIGN
Catherine Leterrier, “Coco Before Chanel” SET DESIGN
Michel Barthelemy, “A Prophet” EDITING
Juliette Welfling, “A Prophet” SOUND
Pierre Excoffier, Bruno Tarriere, Bruno Tarriere, Selim Azzazi, “A Prophet” DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“L’Enfer d’Henri,” Georges Clouzot, Serge Bromberg, Ruxandra Medrea SHORT
C’est Gratuit Pour Les Filles, Claire Burger, Marie Amachoukeli
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