Camino’s resounding triumph at Goyas
Javier Fesser’s film Camino [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news) – which created a media stir with its fierce attack on religious fundamentalism – was the major winner at the 2009 Goya Awards, whose ceremony took place yesterday in Madrid.
Camino, which was not one of the favourites to win – unlike The Blind Sunflowers and Just Walking [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which didn’t live up to expectations – scooped six of the seven Goyas for which it was nominated. These include Best Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. The last two awards went to Fesser, while Best Actress went to Carmen Elías, Best Supporting Actor to Jordi Dauder and Best Female Newcomer to 12-year-old Nerea Camacho.
There was thus a repeat of last year’s unexpected triumph for Solitary Fragments [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which went from being almost unnoticed in the list of nominees to winning the three main prizes.
Very different in tone, El truco del manco (see news) is a harsh, hip-hop inspired fable about overcoming personal difficulties, set in the deserted outskirts of a large city. The film was the other major winner of the evening with three awards: Best New Director for emerging filmmaker Santiago A. Zannou and Best Male Newcomer for the singer El Langui, whose song “A tientas” picked up the Goya for Best Original Song.
The dominance of Camino left the rest of the nominees trailing behind: Just Walking and The Blind Sunflowers received just one award each. Best Cinematography went to the former and Best Adapted Screenplay – in homage to the late Rafael Azcona (see news) – to the latter.
Meanwhile, The Oxford Murders [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Álex de la Iglesia
interview: Gerardo Herrero and Mariela…
film profile] picked up honours only in the technical categories (Best Original Score, Best Editing and Best Production Design).
A touch of glamour was brought to the event by two sought-after Hollywood actors: Penélope Cruz and US-based Puerto Rican-born Benicio del Toro, who won Best Supporting Actress (for Vicky Cristina Barcelona [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Best Actor in a Leading Role (for Che: Part One [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), respectively.
Finally, Cristian Mungiu’s Romanian film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cristian Mungiu
interview: Oleg Mutu
film profile] was named Best European Film of the year.
Full list of prize-winners:
Best Film: Camino - Películas Pendelton, S.A., Mediaproducción, S.L
Best Director: Javier Fesser for Camino
Best New Director: Santiago A. Zannou for El truco del manco
Best Original Screenplay: Javier Fesser for Camino
Best Adapted Screenplay: Rafael Azcona and José Luis Cuerda for The Blind Sunflowers
Best Original Score: Roque Baños for The Oxford Murders
Best Original Song: “A tientas” from El truco del manco
Best Production Design: Rosa Romero for The Oxford Murders
Best Cinematography: Paco Femenía for Just Walking
Best Editing: Alejandro Lázaro for The Oxford Murders
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Benicio del Toro for Che: Part One
Best Supporting Actor: Jordi Dauder for Camino
Best Male Newcomer: Juan Manuel Montilla “Langui” for El truco del manco
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Carme Elías for Camino
Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Female Newcomer: Nerea Camacho for Camino
Best Art Direction: Antxon Gómez for Che: Part One
Best Costume Design: Lala Huete for El Greco
Best Make-up and Hair: José Quetglas, Nieves Sánchez and Mar Paradela for Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission - Save the Planet
Best Sound: Daniel de Zayas, Jorge Marín and Maite Rivera for Before the Fall
Best Special Effects: Raúl Romanillos, Pau Costa, José Quetglas, Eduardo Díaz, Álex Grau and Chema Remacha for Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission - Save the Planet
Best Animated Film: The Lost Lynx
Best Documentary: Bucarest, la memoria perdida (“Bucharest: Lost Memory”)
Best European Film: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days by Cristian Mungiu (Romania)
Best Latin American Film: The Good Life by Andrés Wood (Chile)
Best Narrative Short: Miente by Isabel De Ocampo
Best Animated Short: La increíble historia del hombre sin sombra by José Esteban Alenda
Best Documentary Short: Héroes. No hacen falta alas para volar by Ángel Loza
Honorary Goya: Jesús Franco
(Translated from Spanish)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.