François Ozon has established himself as one of the early favorites of the awards season in France, with “L’Étranger” leading the nominations for the 31st Prix Lumières.
Considered the French equivalent of the Golden Globes, the Lumières Awards are voted on by international journalists from 36 countries and are presented during a ceremony which takes place approximately a month before the César awards and kicks off the awards season in France. The Lights ceremony will take place on January 18 at the Arab World Institute in Paris.
“The Stranger,” a Gaumont-backed adaptation of Albert Camus’ literary masterpiece premiered in Venice, earned six nominations; before Richard Linklater’s “New Wave,” a black-and-white love letter to the French film movement known as the Nouvelle Vague, which premiered at Cannes and landed five Lumières nods.
“L’Affaire 137” by Dominik Moll, which takes place during the Yellow Vest protests in France; and “La Grande Arche” by Stéphane Demoustier, a historical drama with Claes Bang, follow closely with four nominations each. The four titles will compete for best film; alongside Abdellatif Kechiche’s “Mektoub My Love: Canto Due,” the final chapter of the Franco-Tunisian filmmaker’s controversial coming-of-age trilogy, which garnered three nominations.
In addition to best film, “The Stranger” is nominated for best director, actor for Benjamin Voisin, screenplay, cinematography and original score. Set in the early 1940s, the film depicts life in Algeria, then under French colonial rule, and stars Voisin as the novel’s antihero, Meursault, sentenced to death after shooting a young Arab five times. Voisin stars alongside rising French talent Rebecca Marder.
The “New Wave” is in the running for best director, best screenplay, best male hopeful for Guillaume Marbeck and best cinematography.
Other notable nominees include Jodie Foster, who delivers a daring performance in French as a tormented psychiatrist opposite Daniel Auteuil in Rebecca Zlotowski’s comedy thriller “A Private Life”; “Arco”, the animated feature film by Ugo Bienvenu dubbed and produced by Natalie Portman; the queer coming-of-age drama “La Petite Soeur” by Hafsia Herzi, which won the best actress prize at Cannes for Nadia Melliti and which just received the Louis Delluc Prize from French critics earlier this week; and Cannes boss Thierry Fremaux’s feature-length documentary “Lumière! L’Aventure Continue,” an exploration of the invention of cinema featuring more than 100 impeccably restored short films shot by Louis and Auguste Lumière.
Foster will take on Isabelle Huppert for her colorful – and lauded – performance in “The Richest Woman in the World,” a film loosely based on the 2010 Bettencourt affair involving the heiress to the L’Oreal empire. Léa Drucker in “Case 137”, Vicky Krieps in “Love Me Tender” and Mélanie Thierry in “Mariana’s Room” complete the best actress category.
“It Was Just an Accident”, a thriller with a strong moral charge that the Iranian filmmaker shot clandestinely, by Jafar Panahi, is in the running for best international co-production, alongside the Brazilian period thriller “The Secret Agent” by Kleber Mendonça Filho, “Tardes de Soledad” by Albert Serra, “Sentimental Value” by Joachim Trier and “The Voice of Hind Rajab” by Kaouther Ben Hania.
Nominations for the 31st Lumières Awards:
Best film
“Case 137”, Dominik Moll
“The Stranger,” François Ozon
“The Grande Arche”, Stéphane Demoustier
“Mektoub my love: song two”, Abdellatif Kechiche
“New Wave,” Richard Linklater
Best Director
“The Grande Arche”, Stéphane Demoustier
“Mektoub my love: song two”, Abdellatif Kechiche
“New Wave,” Richard Linklater “Case 137,” Dominik Moll
“The Stranger,” François Ozon
Best screenplay
“The Grande Arche”, Stéphane Demoustier
“New Wave,” Holly Gent, Vince Palmo and Michèle Halberstadt
“Nino”, Pauline Loquès “Case 137”, Dominik Moll and Gilles Marchand
“The Stranger,” François Ozon
Best Documentary
“The Song of the Forests,” Vincent Munier
“Tell him I love him,” Romane Bohringer
“Light! The Adventure Continues,” Thierry Frémaux
“No one understands anything,” Yannick Kergoat
“Put your soul on your hand and walk”, Sepideh Farsi
Best Animated Film
“Amélie and the Metaphysics of Tubes,” Liane-Cho Han and Mailys Vallade
“Arco”, Ugo Bienvenu
“Château Life, My Childhood in Versailles,” Nathaniel H’Limi and Clémence Madeleine-Perdrillat
“Marcel and Monsieur Pagnol,” Sylvain Chomet
“Slocum and Me,” Jean-François Laguionie
Best actress
“Case 137”, Léa Drucker
“Private Life”, Jodie Foster
“The richest woman in the world”, Isabelle Huppert
“Love me tenderly”, Vicky Krieps
“Mariana’s Room,” Mélanie Thierry
Best Actor
“The Condition”, Swann Arlaud
“The Great Arch”, Claes Bang
“The richest woman in the world”, Laurent Lafitte
“The Mohicans”, Alexis Manenti
“The Stranger,” Benjamin Voisin
Newcomer
“Clay”, Manon Clavé
“Winter in Sokcho,” Bella Kim
“The Little Sister”, Nadia Melliti
“Mektoub My Love: Canto Due”, Jessica Pennington
“Trial by Fire,” Anja Verderosa
Male newcomer
“Meteors”, Between Azougli
“Mehdi’s Little Kitchen,” Younès Boucif
“New Wave,” Guillaume Marbeck
“Nino,” Théodore Pellerin
“Enzo”, Eloy Pohu
Best First Feature Film
“The Engulfed,” Louise Hémon
“Little Jaffna”, Lawrence Valin
“Nino”, Pauline Loquès
“The Pampa”, Antoine Chevroller
“The Summer Rendezvous,” Valentine Cadic
Best international co-production
“The Secret Agent”, Kleber Mendonça Filho
“Afternoon of solitude”, Albert Serra
“It was just an accident”, Jafar Panahi
“Sentimental value”, Joachim Trier
“The voice of Hind Rajab”, Kaouther Ben Hania
Best Cinematography
“L’Engloutie,” Marine Atlan
“New Wave,” David Chambille
“The Stranger”, Manu Dacossé
“The Condition,” Pascal Lagriffoul
“The Song of the Forests,” Vincent Munier, Antoine Lavorel and Laurent Joffrion
Best Original Music
“The Stranger”, Fatima Al Qadiri
“The Little Sister”, Amine Bouhafa
“The Song of the Forests,” Warren Ellis, Dom La Nena and Rosemary Standley
“Private life”, ROB
“Arco”, Arnaud Toulon
