‘Mientras duermes’ (‘While you sleep’) and ‘Eva’ triumph at 4th Catalan cinema Gaudí Awards

Barcelona (CNA).- Lights, camera, action! Long dresses braving the cold, men in suits, shared smiles, journalists backwarding and forwarding, photographs jostling for position and flashes on all sides. This was just the beginning of the 4^th Gaudí Awards ceremony, a glamorous and cinematographic night organised by the Catalan Film Academy, where Catalan and Spanish stars walked the red carpet. The Artèria Paral·lel Theatre in Barcelona was an elegant catwalk to welcome the Gaudí Awards nominees. The event was hosted by Catalan actors Xavi Mira and Alba Florejachs and pre-award predictions came true. ‘Mientras duermes’ (‘While you sleep’), filmed by Catalan Jaume Balagueró, was the winner of the night, with 6 awards. The hot favourite ‘Eva’, by Catalan director Kike Maíllo, followed it with 5 prizes. Catalan filmmaker Pere Portabella was given the Honorific Gaudí award for his cinematographic career.

And the Gaudí award goes to…

The biggest winners of the night were ‘Mientras duermes’ (‘While you sleep’) and ‘Eva’. On the one hand, Catalan Jaume Balagueró’s thriller takes place in a building where a gatekeeper becomes obsessed with one of the female tenants. The movie took home four of the most important Gaudí awards: the Best Non-Catalan Language Film, the Best Director, the Best Leading Actor for Galician Luis Tosar and the Best Screenplay for Alberto Marini. Jaume Balagueró shared the prize with movie’s team and his family. ‘Mientras duermes’ (‘While you sleep’) was awarded in the Best Editing and Sound categories too.

On the other hand, ‘Eva’ futuristic film introduces us to Alex (Daniel Brühl), a cyber engineer who is asked to create a child robot. Maíllo’s film got the Best Catalan Language Film and the Best Supporting Actor awards. ‘Eva’ got also the Best Photography, Artistic Direction and Special Effects prizes.

Catalan director Pere Portabella was delivered the Honorific Gaudí award for his cinematographic career.

The highlights

Galician Luis Tosar won the Best Leading actor award for his role in ‘Mientras duermes’ (‘While you sleep’). Galician actor dedicates it to the film’s team and his girlfriend Marta Etura. Verónica Echegui, from Madrid, won the Best Leading Actress for her role in Iciair Bollaín’s ‘Katmandú, un espejo en el cielo’ (‘Kathmandu, a mirror in the sky’); she received her award with enormous enthusiasm and strong conviction that everything has to be done with love, a love of art. The Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards stayed in Catalonia as they went to Lluís Homar (‘Eva’) and Vicky Peña (‘Catalunya über alles!’).

More protagonists

As regards the other favourites of the ceremony, the acclaimed animation film ‘Chico & Rita’, directed by Tono Errando, Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba, got ready for the Oscars with two awards: the Best Animation Film and the Best Original Music. Many guests could not avoid moving listening to its catchy Latin music. However, ‘Bruc’ did not get the most important Gaudí awards it opted for. Catalan director Daniel Benmayor’s film won the Best Production Management, Best Make-up and Hair and Best Costume Design prizes.

The other winners of the night were Tom Hooper’s ‘El discurso del rey’ (‘The King’s Speech’), the Best European Film; ‘Ahora no puedo’ (‘I cannot now’), the Best Short Film; ‘Barcelona, abans que el temps ho esborri’ (‘Barcelona, ??before time erases it’), the Best Documentary; and ‘14 d'abril, Macià contra Companys’ (‘April 14^th, Macià against Companys’), the Best TV Film.

The masters of ceremony

The event’s hosts, actors Xavi Mira and Alba Florejachs, opted for music and humour. They sang and danced to the sound of music and nobody escaped their jokes, neither politicians, journalists or actors. All of them were victims of their jokes: the President of the Catalan Government Artur Mas, the Director of Catalan Public Television Broadcaster Mònica Terribas, Spanish actor Juan José Ballesta’s action scenes in ‘Bruc, la llegenda’ (‘Bruc, the legend’) or the couple formed by Galician actor Luis Tosar and Basque actress Marta Etura. Mira and Florejach even sang about Spanish corrupt politicians saying “no esteu sols” (“you are not alone”). The current economic crisis and employment situation dominated the night, as well as references to commitment to Catalan cinema and its future.

The other side of the ceremony

The ceremony was two and a half hours of stylish cinema stars, dances, music, humour and awards. However, not everything went so smoothly. First of all, the photocall was not without controversy. Some fire-fighters and members of the Catalan police force ‘Mossos d’Esquadra’ protested against Catalan Government’s budget cuts. Some actors and actresses who gave the awards felt confused on the stage: some of them forgot for a moment what they had to say, many of them did not know where they had to leave stage, and some were unable to open the envelopes with the winners’ names, etc. The Catalan ceremony, in this sense, still has to learn the ropes.

There were also emotional moments, such as that dedicated to Catalan actor Jordi Dauder, nominee in the Best Supporting Actor category, who died last September. Catalan artist Antoni Tàpies, who died on Monday, was remembered too. Both received a huge applause from the crowd. Joel Joan, president of the Catalan Film Academy, wrapped up by expressing the desire that Catalan cinema should get stronger every year.

Final scenes

Once all the awards were handed over, hosts said goodbye in cabaret-style to the beat of ‘All that jazz’ song. All the winners went on stage and said goodbye until the 5^th part of this “film” next year. Smiles, congratulations, kisses and hugs. Spotlights went down. Last clapperboard!