The Secret of the Grain continues winning streak

by Fabien Lemercier

19/02/2008 - Having scooped three prizes at the Venice Film Festival (Special Jury Prize, Best Emerging Actress and the Fipresci Award), the Louis-Delluc Award for Best French Film of 2007 and its equivalent awarded at the beginning of February by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics, Abdellatif Kechiche’s The Secret of the Grain [trailer] (see interview) continued its winning streak yesterday evening at the Golden Star Awards, presented by 700 film journalists from the press, radio and television.

With four Golden Stars (Best French Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Female Newcomer for Hafsia Herzi), The Secret of the Grain is in pole position for the Cesars, which will be awarded on Friday evening.

Isabelle Carré (Anna M. [trailer]) and Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose [trailer]) shared the Golden Star for Best Leading Actress, while Best Leading Actor went to Mathieu Amalric for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly [trailer].

Persepolis [trailer, film focus] (see Focus) by directorial duo Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud picked up the award for Best Debut Film and Barbet Schroeder’s Terror’s Advocate [trailer] outshone the other contenders in the Best Documentary category.

The Golden Star for Best Male Newcomer went to Jocelyn Quivrin (99 Francs) and Andy Gillet (Eric Rohmer’s Romance of Astree and Celadon [trailer]).

The Secret of the Grain also brought success for Pathé, Jérôme Seydoux and François Ivernel picked up Golden Stars for Best Producer and Best Distributor, respectively.

After nine weeks of distribution in France, The Secret of the Grain has garnered 635,000 admissions (and €3.77m at the box office). In Italy – where it is being distributed by Lucky Red - the film has grossed over €1.5m in five weeks.

The film will be released in the UK on September 5 and in Austria and Germany on December 31.

(Translated from French)