"Carnage" awarded with Cesar

Roman Polański and Yasmina Reza received the Cesar Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film Rzeź (Carnage). The film was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute (PISF).

Polański’s seventh Cesar

The 37^th Cesar Award Ceremony – awards given by the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques (L’Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma) – took place on February 14, 2012 at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Cesar for Best Adapted Screenplay is Polański’s seventh, previously he was awarded in 1980 for Tess (Best Film and Best Director), in 2003 for The Pianist (Best Film and Best Director), and in 2011 for The Ghost Writer (Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay together with Robert Harris).

Four other films were competing for the Cesar Award in Best Adapted Screenplay category together with Carnage: La Délicatesse (Delicacy) by David Foenkinos, Présumé coupable (Guilty) by Vincent Garenq, Omar m’a tuer (Omar Killed Me) by Roschdy Zem, and L’Ordre et la morale (Rebellion) by Mathieu Kassovitz.

Film co-financed by the Polish Film Institute

Carnage has been displayed in Polish cinemas since February 20. Polański’s film is a co-production between France, Spain, Germany and Poland, co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. SPI International Polska is the Polish producer of the film. Carnage is a film based on Yasmina Reza’s play God of Carnage. Roman Polański gathered a star-studded cast and well known filmmakers, the main characters were played by Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, and Christopher Waltz. The film was lensed by Paweł Edelman from Poland, music was created by a multiple Oscar nominee Alexandre Desplat, production design by an Oscar winner Dean Tavoularis, and Cezara Hervé de Luze, a three times Cesar winner, was responsible for editing.

Remaining prize-winners

The Cesar Awards were given in 22 categories. The Artist by Michael Hazanavicius received the most awards. The film was awarded in six categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Actress. The Honorary Cesar for lifetime achievement was given to Kate Winslet who played in Carnage.

Cesar Awards 2012

• Best Film: The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius
• Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
• Best Animated Film: Le Chat du rabbin (The Rabbi’s Cat) by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux
• Best Short Film: L’Accordeur (The Piano Tuner) by Olivier Treiner
• Best Documentary Film: Tous au Larzac (Leader Sheep) by Christian Rouaud
• Best Foreign Film: Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation) by Asghar Farhadi
• Best Original Screenplay: Pierre Schoeller for L’Exercice de l’Etat (The Minister)
• Best Adapted Screenplay Roman Polański and Yasmina Reza for Carnage
• Best Actress: Bérénice Bejo for her role in The Artist
• Best Actor: Omar Sy for his role in Intouchables (Untouchable)
• Best Supporting Actress: Carmen Maura for her role in Les femmes du 6e étage (Service Entrance)
• Best Supporting Actor: Michel Blanc for his role in L’Exercice de l’Etat (The Minister)
• Most Promising Actress: Naidra Ayadi for her role in Polisse (Poliss) and Clotilde Hesme for Angèle et Tony (Angèle and Tony)
• Most Promising Actor: Grégory Gadebois for his role in Angèle et Tony (Angèle and Tony)
• Best Promising Director: Sylvain Estibal for Le Cochon de Gaza (When Pigs Have Wings)
• Best Cinematography: Guillaume Schiffman for The Artist
• Best Sound: Olivier Hespel, Julie Brenta, and Jean-Pierre Laforce for L’Exercice de l’Etat (The Minister)
• Best Editing: Laure Gardette and Yann Dedet for Polisse (Poliss)
• Best Production Design: Laurence Bennett for The Artist
• Best Music Written for a Film: Ludovic Bource for The Artist
• Best Costume Design: Anaïs Romand for L’Apollonide (House of Tolerance)
• Honorary Cesar: Kate Winslet

Cesar Awards – the national film awards of France

The Cesar Awards were first given out in 1976. The nominations are selected and handed by the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques (L’Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma) composed of 4199 members.

Further details about the awards available at www.academie-cinema.org.

Translated by Monika Miziniak