European Film Awards 2011

A Brave New European Cinema
By Steven Yates

After a three year hiatus, when it was hosted in Copenhagen, Essen (Ruhr Metropolis) and finally Tallinn last year, the 24th European Film Awards returned to the familiar territory of Berlin this year, its spiritual home. This time, the awards venue was the Tempodrom, a stone’s throw away from Potsdamer Platz, the central hub of the Berlinale.

The Director of the European Film Academy and executive producer of the European Film Awards, Marion Döring, introduced this year's award ceremony and then invited to the stage European Film Academy President (since 1996) Wim Wenders who, despite being a nominee for his documentary Pina this year, still had no idea by this stage if he would win. Wenders opening address was a heartfelt plea for integration and co-operation in European Cinema. The legendary German director then handed over to Bernd Neumann (State Minister of Culture to the Federal Chancellor) who expressed pleasure at being present and also seeing members and delegates from other countries in attendance. He went on to add that, in the 24 years of the awards, Europe has undergone fundamental changes from division and dictatorship to peace and democracy, and we should also remember that common cultural boundaries have for centuries bound us together. Wenders echoed this when he said that Europe is more than just a monetary union and that it is an increasingly big task to fill the European  Cinema with emotions, the European Film Awards being the culmination and celebration of this.       
  
Indeed, it was encouraging to learn that the German Parliament budget for supporting the arts has increased by 5.1% this year, marking its seventh yearly increase. Also, the European Commission has announced its budget plans for the period 2014-2020 and will increase its arts budget 27% during that period. The Deputy Chair of the European Film Academy, Volker Schlöndorff, talked of two very different directions that Europe could go in the future, using a film parable: the first was the horror movie where Europe would break up and nationalism could start to creep in again; the second was the happy end where Europe will unite even more by a fiscal union followed by a political union and re-phrased a 19th century English hymn as a defiant call by saying "Onwards, European Film Soldiers".

German comedian Anke Engelke, now the regular host at the awards, introduced the prize categories and the people who would be presenting them. Underlining fully that the awards were not improvised, the comedian invited up on stage last year's winner for Best Actress in the film Lourdes, Sylvie Testud, who claimed that she had been 'mistakenly' invited up then called on fellow French actress Irene Jacob to present the first award of the evening, the Best Animated Feature Film which went to the Spanish-UK co-production Chico and Rita. Following this, veteran cinematographer Peter Suschitzky appropriately presented Carlo di Palma European Cinematographer Award, which went to Manuel Alberto Claro for his work on Melancholia.

The achievement awards came to play a central part in the evening. One which was not announced before the ceremony was the European Film Academy Special Honorary Award which went to French actor  Michel Piccoli, popularly cited as Luis Bunuel’s favourite actor.  Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard’s long presentation speech on behalf of his colleague Mads Mikkelsen, for European Achievement In World Cinema, showed genuine affection, humor but, most of all, the upmost respect for the Dane’s achievements. In accepting the award, the actor, still theoretically only approaching mid-career, said he had two months to prepare the speech but still didn’t know what to say. However, he took time to pay tribute to all those he has worked with and gave a special thanks to his family.

Stephen Frears was humble and gracious in his acceptance speech for the European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. He began by jokingly claiming that he was surprised to be honored by the EFA as he claimed to be everything they don’t approve of; not an auteur, doesn‘t write scripts and as a a child he hadn’t even heard of European Cinema. He then went on to acknowledge the debt he owed to Lindsay Anderson and Karel Reisz for inspiring him both to become a film director and helping in his discovery of European cinema. Later, on a more poignant note, European Co-Production Award - Prix Eurimages winner Mariela Besuievsky called on the makers of cinema to "pull together" and argued that the consequences of the new technologies and the threat of piracy was not being countered at a fast enough pace and that new ideas are constantly needed for filmmakers to survive.

Danish and British Cinema picked up the most awards for the evening. The King’s Speech won three in total: European Actor (an absent Colin Firth), European Editor (Tariq Anwar) and the People's Choice Award for Best European Film. Director Tom Hooper was present to pick up this award, and on behalf of Colin Firth. European Actress winner Tilda Swinton (for We Need to Talk about Kevin) was also absent.  An emotional Susanne Bier, the European Director winner  for In a Better World (Hævnen) particularly thanked her scriptwriter, crew and actors. Terry Gilliam, who won Short Film for The Wholly Family (actually an Italian production) self-mockingly claimed he now thinks his career path is going in reverse. The six European Film Nominees were announced intermittently during the evening and, with the aforementioned well rehearsed gags and famous names presenting (Heike Makatsch, the actor dog from European Film nominee and European Composer winner The Dancer), the winner was Melancholia. After his controversial comments in Cannes this year, Lars von Trier has indefinitely ruled himself out of award ceremonies and speeches so his wife picked up the award for him.

In a strong section of five nominees (including two from Austria), the European Discovery — Prix FIPRESCI Award went to Oxygen (Adem) by Hans Van Nuffel, a Belgium/Netherlands production. The film concerns the problems, bravery and optimism in the protagonists, who are coping with cystic fibrosis. It is a very personal film for the director who also suffers from the same condition. In his acceptance speech Hans Van Nuffel thanked his producer, cast and crew.

This year’s European Film Awards showed much optimism and confidence, particularly after excellent programs in Cannes and also Venice, along with new emerging talent and, not least, the pledge for more money from the European Commission in the next 10 years. With national cinema productions faring better at home than many of the American imports, there’s reason to believe that, in the reality of a now precarious state, the makers of artistic and creative films who come together at the European Film Awards have reason to believe they can continue to stay afloat and present their means of expression for years to come.

Next year’s European Film Awards will take place in Malta.

Steven Yates
© FIPRESCI 2011

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