How is it possible? A delivery of the Golden Shell in which the critics do not agree with (almost) absolutely nothing? It hasn’t happened since 2021! The main prize for ‘The Kings of the World’ had been won and, luckily (and almost a miracle), it has satisfied the majority of critics and the public, qualifying it as one of the best films not only of the festival, but also of the year.
There has also been consensus and general applause in the exciting award to Carla Quílez for ‘La maternal’ (which, due to absurd rules, we don’t expect at the Goyas due to her age). Personally I am not so in agreement with the award to Paul Kircher, in a histrionic role and that was too big for him. In any case, it is clear that this jury has decided to bet on the quarry of cinema. And from here, the chaos.
Renata Lerman’s role in ‘El suplente’ (a much better film than what has been said) is anecdotal, ‘A hundred flowers’ stands out in her direction but not as much as it seems to deserve the award and, of course, the bland and linear ‘A woman’ did not deserve the award for best screenplaybased on the fact that perhaps it was, together with ‘Sparta’, the worst film screened in the official section this year.
In the same way, having works like ‘A hundred flowers’ or ‘Los reyes del mundo’ itself, awarding a prize for the best photograph to a film as closed in on itself as ‘Pornomelancholia’ It seems like a bad joke, but it is the decision of the jury and there is no other choice but to accept it. At the end of the day, it is one more Zinemaldia tradition: the uncomfortable seats at the Kursaal, the rain for a couple of days, the applause for the opening lines and the negative surprises when it comes time to give the Golden Shells.
There is at least a bit of a break in the parallel sections: ‘Godland’ is a new marvel from Hlynur Pálmason, and the public has fairly voted for two of the best films of the year: ‘As bestas’ and ‘Argentina, 1985’. Another year of good (and not so good) cinema watered with the usual controversies. Donostia, Gero art!
We leave you with the complete list of winners:
Official competition section
- Best film: ‘The kings of the world’ (Laura Mora Ortega)
- Best Direction: Genki Kawamura (‘A hundred flowers’)
- Best leading performance: Carla Quílez (‘La maternal’) and Paul Kircher (‘Le lycéen’)
- Best supporting performance: Renata Lerman (‘El suplente’)
- Best Screenplay: ‘A Woman’ (Wang Chao and Dong Yung Zhou)
- Best Cinematography: Manuel Abramovich (‘Pornomelancholia’)
- Special Jury Prize: ‘Runner’ (Marian Mathias)
parallel sections
- Audience Award for Best Film: ‘Argentina, 1985’ (Santiago Mitre)
- Audience Award for Best European Film: ‘As Bestas’ (Rodrigo Sorogoyen)
- Best “New Directors” Film: ‘Fifi/Spare Keys’ (Jeanne Aslan and Paul Saintillan). Special Mention: ‘Carajita’ (Ulises Porra and Silvina Schnicer)
- Best film of “Latin Horizons”: ‘I Have Electric Dreams’ (Valentina Maurel)
- Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Award: ‘Godland’ (Hlynur Pálmason)
- Irizar Basque Film Award: ‘Suro’ (Mikel Gorrea), with a special mention for ‘To books and singing women’ (María Elorza)
- TCM Youth Award: ‘To books and to women I sing’ (María Elorza)
- RTVE Otra Mirada Award: ‘El sostre groc’ (Isabel Coixet). Special Mention: ‘Corsage’ (Marie Kreutzer)