Cesar Film Awards – Trophies for Dupontel and Vinterberg

The tragic comedy “Adieu les cons” (Goodbye, you idiots) by Albert Dupontel won the French César trophy for best film. The prestigious award was presented on Friday evening without an audience in the famous Parisian concert hall Olympia. “Rausch” by Danish film director Thomas Vinterberg was honored as the best foreign film.

Dupontel’s burlesque flick won seven trophies, including the one for best film, best director and best original screenplay. The film by the director and actor tells the story of a seriously ill woman who, at the age of 43, went in search of her daughter, whom she had to give up for adoption at the age of 15 under the pressure of her parents. The tragic comedy hit French cinemas shortly before the corona-related closure of the cultural institutions at the end of October and attracted more than 700,000 viewers in just ten days.

The 57-year-old is known for his films that go into the absurd and burlesque. In 2018 he was awarded the César trophies for best director and best adapted screenplay for “Au revoir là-haut” (See you up there). The work is about an event from the last days of the First World War. Dupontel received the award for the best original screenplay in 2014 for “9 mois ferme” (9 months imprisonment without parole).

Like a visit to the Louvre

Dupontel was not present at any of the César awards. He gave the reason in 2017 on a television program: For him, the Césars are like a visit to the Louvre, where it is said that this painter is better than the other. Such an intellectual judgment makes him perplexed.

“Rausch” by the Danish film director Vinterberg was honored with the César as best foreign film. The drama tells the story of four befriended teachers who start a drinking experiment together. The social satire made it into the Oscar preselection for the best international film.

Many actors, including Isabelle Huppert, took the event on Friday evening as an opportunity to call for the cinemas to be opened. She was happy to be here and to stand in front of around 150 people, said the actress. That is a considerable audience nowadays. But now it is time to open the cinemas as soon as possible.

Pressure from cultural workers is increasing

In France, the cinemas, theaters and museums have been closed since the end of October due to the Corona crisis. The pressure of cultural workers on the French government is growing. For days, theaters have been occupied in protest in Paris, Strasbourg and other cities in the country.

France is badly affected by the pandemic. On Friday, the country with around 67 million inhabitants officially crossed the threshold of 90,000 corona deaths. An evening curfew applies nationwide from 6 p.m.

This year’s award ceremony took place under the renewed leadership of the Académie des César. Last year, the dispute over the award of the award for best director to Roman Polanski for the film “Intrige” plunged the institution into a crisis.

The César is France’s national film award, named after the sculptor César Baldaccini. The “French Oscar” has been awarded since 1976. (apa)