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From the "Biz" Archives: Germany's "Lenin" Wins Top Prizes at European Film Awards by Eugene Hernandez
In Berlin on Saturday night, the German hit "Good Bye, Lenin!" was the big winner at the 2003 European Film Awards. The X Filme production won six prizes from the European Film Academy, including best European film of 2003, best actor for Daniel Brühl, and best European screenwriter for writer Bernd Lichtenberg. Director Wolfgang Becker, actor Brühl and actress Katrin Sass all won people's choice awards at the annual European Film Awards. "Lenin" was also a big winner at the annual German Film Awards where it nabbed prizes for best film, best director, best actor, best supporting actor, best editing, best music, production design, and audience awards for German feature of the year and actor of the year. Brühl, the young German actor who also appears in X Filme's "Love in Thoughts" which will premiere at Sundance next month, stars in "Lenin!" as a son whose mother falls into a coma shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. To protect her heart from the shock of the news, once she is revived, he must avoid telling her what is really going on outside their East German apartment. The film is described as "the story of how a loving son tries to move mountains and create miracles to restore his mother to health -- and keep her in the belief that Lenin really did win after all." The film was selected as Germany's submission for foreign language category at the upcoming Academy Awards. Nominations will be announced next month. COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS OF THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2003 (as provided by the European Film Academy): EUROPEAN FILM 2003 EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2003 EUROPEAN ACTOR 2003 EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2003 EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2003 EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER 2003 EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2003 EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA 2003 EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY DISCOVERY 2003 - Prix Fassbinder EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY CRITICS AWARD 2003 - Prix Fipresci EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY DOCUMENTARY 2003 - Prix Arte EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY SHORT FILM 2003 - Prix UIP EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY NON-EUROPEAN FILM 2003 - Prix Screen
International THE JAMESON PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS 2003 Best European Director: Best European Actor: Best European Actress: | |
