25/02/2022 - Claiming seven trophies, Xavier Giannoli’s feature film easily dominated the winners’ list ahead of Annette, while Valérie Lemercier and Benoît Magimel were both crowned best actors

The winners of the 2022 Césars during the ceremony (© Mathieu Ninat/Canal+)

At the close of a respectable 47th César awards ceremony (following a 2021 edition resulting in noise and controversy), which was enhanced by the Honorary César Isabelle Huppert handed to Cate Blanchett and the tribute a very choked-up Xavier Dolan paid to the much missed Gaspard Ulliel, the overall winner of the evening was Lost Illusions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile] by Xavier Giannoli, which was crowned Best French Film as well as earning itself an additional six titles (namely the Césars for Best Adaption, shared between the director and Jacques Fieschi, Best Supporting Actor for Vincent Lacoste, Best Male Newcomer for Benjamin Voisin, Best Photography, Best Costumes and Best Set Design). The filmmaker’s 8th feature film also walked away with the grand prize, which he’d previously aspired to in 2007 (Quand j’étais chanteur [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), 2010 (À l’origine [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and 2016 (Marguerite [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile]). Unveiled in competition in Venice, this re-reading of the famous novel by Honoré de Balzac was produced by Olivier Delbosc on behalf of Curiosa Films and by Sidonie Dumas for Gaumont.

The second most prominent film of the evening was Annette [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Leos Carax, which nabbed no less than five awards (including the César for Best Director). The remaining prizes were divvied up between a wide range of films, notably the main acting awards which went to two actors who’d never before won such levels of recognition at the César Awards: Valérie Lemercier (for Aline, The Voice of Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which she herself directed) and Benoît Magimel (for Emmanuelle Bercot’s Peaceful [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] ).

Onoda - 10,000 Nights in the Jungle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arthur Harari
film profile] by Arthur Harari sauntered off with the Best Original Screenplay trophy (penned by the filmmaker and Vincent Poymiro), Venetian champion Happening [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anamaria Vartolomei
film profile] only claimed victory in the category of Best Female Newcomer by way of Anamaria Vartolomei, while The Divide [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Catherine Corsini
film profile]’s sole triumph was Best Supporting Actress, courtesy of Aïssatou Diallo Sagna. But the biggest loser of the evening was the Palme D’Or winner Titane [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Julia Ducournau, Vincent Li…
film profile], which didn’t come good in any of its four nominated categories.

Vincent Maël Cardona’s Magnetic Beats won out in the wonderfully open first films competition, while favourites The Velvet Queen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marie Amiguet and Vincent M…
film profile] by Marie Amiguet and Vincent Munier, and The Summit of the Gods [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] by Patrick Imbert triumphed in the documentaries and animated films arenas. Last but not least, the César for Best Foreign Film was awarded to The Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Florian Zeller
film profile] by Florian Zeller.

The full list of winners is as follows:

Best Film
Lost Illusions [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Giannoli
film profile] - Xavier Giannoli

Best Director
Leos Carax - Annette [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (France/Germany/Belgium/Switzerland/Mexico/Japan)

Best Actress
Valérie Lemercier – Aline, The Voice of Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (France/Canada/Belgium)

Best Actor
Benoît Magimel - Peaceful [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (France/Belgium)

Best Documentary
The Velvet Queen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marie Amiguet and Vincent M…
film profile] - Marie Amiguet, Vincent Munier

Best Animated Film
The Summit of the Gods [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Patrick Imbert (France/Luxembourg)

Best First Film
Magnetic Beats [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vincent Maël Cardona
film profile] - Vincent Maël Cardona (France/Germany)

Best Original Screenplay
Arthur Harari, Vincent Poymiro – Onoda – 10,000 Nights in the Jungle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arthur Harari
film profile] (France/Italy/Germany/Belgium/Japan/Cambodia)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Xavier Giannoli, Jacques Fieschi – Lost Illusions

Best Supporting Actress
Aïssatou Diallo Sagna – The Divide [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Catherine Corsini
film profile]

Best Supporting Actor
Vincent Lacoste – Lost Illusions

Best Female Newcomer
Anamaria Vartolomei - Happening

Best Male Newcomer
Benjamin Voisin – Lost Illusions

Best Original Soundtrack
Ron Mael, Russell Mael - Annette

Best Sound
Erwan Kerzanet, Katia Boutin, Maxence Dussère, Paul Heymans, Thomas Gauder - Annette

Best Photography
Christophe Beaucarne – Lost Illusions

Best Editing
Nelly Quettier - Annette

Best Costumes
Pierre-Jean Larroque – Lost Illusions

Best Set Design
Riton Dupire-Clément – Lost Illusions

Best Visual Effects
Guillaume Pondard - Annette

Best Fiction Short
One and Thousand Nights - Elie Girard

Best Animated Short
Mild Madness, Lasting Lunacy - Marine Laclotte

Best Short Documentary
Maalbeek - Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis

Best Foreign Film
The Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Florian Zeller
film profile] - Florian Zeller (UK/France)

(Translated from French)