The European Film Awards—First Hollywood, then Cannes, and now Pairs?
The European Film Awards ceremony was held in Pairs in early December, honoring the best in European and world films.
Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark was the overall winner of the evening, receiving awards for the best European film and best actress—Bjork.
.The audiences was disappointed, however, as neither von Trier, Bjork, nor the Oscar-winning Italian director Roberto Benigni showed up to accept awards.
Still, other prize winners did come. The Irish actor Richard Harris, who was given an award for lifetime achievement, gave a humorous thank-you speech that was the high point of the evening.
Another internationally known actor, Jean Reno, also gave an enthusiastic thank-you speech. The French actor received an award for European achievement in world cinema, for his international firm career.
Other VIPs from around Europe also attended. But most of the prizes at the ceremony, which people have been calling “the European Oscars”, went to French films.
There was one international film award, which went to a French-Hong Kong co-production, Wong Karwai’s In the Mood for Love.