27/06/2013 - Clean sweep for Michael Kohlhaas by Arnaud des Pallières at the 2013 BRFF, which wins the Grand Prix, but also the Cinelab, Cineuropa and RTBF Public’s Prizes

The Brussels Film Festival ended on Wednesday, June 26th, with the screening of I, Anna [+see also:
trailer
interview: Barnaby Southcombe
interview: Charlotte Rampling
film profile] by Barnaby Southcombe, and the announcement of the winners’ list. The official jury, presided by Bertrand Tavernier, the guest of honour of the festival, and composed of Samuel Benchetrit, Julia Dietze, Joachim Lafosse, Sam Louwyck and Astrid Whettnall, clearly took sides by rewarding intense but austere films, seemingly simple, highly demanding but also of great narrative strength. The top of the charts was reached by Michael Kohlhaas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arnaud des Pallières
film profile], Arnaud des Pallières’s 6th film. Presented in May in Cannes in the Official Selection, the film once again impressed by its austerity, as harsh as the rocky plains of the Cévennes which were home to the struggle for justice of Mads Mikkelsen, always as imposing and ready to do anything, even renounce power, to assert his right. The film touched the audience and the juries, since it also won the Cinelab, RTBF Public’s and Cineuropa Prizes.

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The winners’ list also features Shell [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], by Scottish director Scott Graham, Best First Film Award (read the review). The film also received the Fedex Cinephile Award. The Prize of the Jury went to Camille Claudel 1915 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bruno Dumont
film profile] by Bruno Dumont, discovered during the previous Berlinale, an atypical work in the filmography of the director, who works for the first time with a star and offers Juliette Binoche a dense and moving role. Always part of the Official Selection, the Studio l’Equipe chose to reward Miele [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valeria Golino
interview: Valeria Golino
film profile], the first film by Italian actress Valeria Golino, who also received the Euromillions Prize of the Public. The ASA (Association des Scénaristes de l’Audiovisuel) gave the Best Screenplay Award to Viva Belarus! [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Krzysztof Lukaszewicz
film profile] by Polish director Krzysztof Lukaszewicz. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the Be TV Prize of the Public went to Paradis Perdu [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Eve Deboise’s first film (interview).

(Translated from French)