"Amour," director Michael Haneke's meditation on the end of life told through an elderly man's love for his dying wife, swept the European film awards on Saturday, winning Best European film, best director, actor and actress.
In addition to Haneke's win, Emmanuelle Riva won Best Actress for playing the wife, who slowly fades toward death, and Jean-Louis Trintignant won Best Actor for his portrayal of a loving husband, struggling with the challenge of caring for his partner.
The film, a leading contender in the Oscar season, won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Sony Pictures Classics is distributing the film in the United States.
Two films that were released in the U.S. in 2011 but in Europe in 2012 won multiple awards: Steve McQueen's "Shame" was honored for its cinematography and editing, while Tomas Alfredsson's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" won for its production design and music.
"The Hunt" won the award for screenplay.
Here is the full list of winners:
EUROPEAN FILM 2012:
AMOUR
France / Germany / Austria, 127 min
Written & directed by Michael Haneke
produced by Margaret Menegoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka & Michael Katz
EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2012: Michael Haneke for AMOUR
EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2012: Emmanuelle Riva in AMOUR
EUROPEAN ACTOR 2012: Jean-Louis Trintignant in AMOUR
EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2012: Tobias Lindholm & Thomas Vinterberg for JAGTEN (The Hunt)
CARLO DI PALMA EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER AWARD 2012: Sean Bobbitt for SHAME
EUROPEAN EDITOR 2012: Joe Walker for SHAME
EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER 2012: Maria Djurkovic for TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
EUROPEAN COMPOSER 2012: Alberto Iglesias for TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2012 – Prix FIPRESCI: KAUWBOY by Boudewijn Koole (The Netherlands)
EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY DOCUMENTARY 2012: HIVER NOMADE (Winter Nomads) by Manuel von Stürler (Switzerland)
EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY ANIMATED FEATURE FILM 2012: ALOIS NEBEL by Tomáš Luňák (Czech Republic / Germany / Slovakia)
EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY SHORT FILM 2012: SUPERMAN, SPIDERMAN OR BATMAN by Tudor Giurgiu, Romania
EUROPEAN CO-PRODUCTION AWARD 2012 – Prix EURIMAGES: Helena Danielsson, Sweden
EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA 2012: Dame Helen Mirren, UK
EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy
THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD 2012: HASTA LA VISTA (Come As You Are)
directed by da Geoffrey Enthoven
The European Film Awards 2012 are presented by the European Film Academy e.V. and EFA Productions gGmbH with the support of the Maltese Ministry of Finance, Economy and Investment, the Malta Film Commission, FFA German Federal Film Board, the German State Lottery Berlin, the German State Minister for Culture and the Media, the MEDIA Programme of the EU, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Air Malta p.l.c., ARTE, CinePostproduction, EGEDA -filmotech.com, Film Corporation, GLS, MFCC, Panalight Nexos Mediterranea and ZDF.
