The Night of 12which recounts the impossible investigation into a feminicide in France, triumphed at the 48th César in Paris, during a ceremony where several voices deplored the absence of women among the nominees for the best achievement.
The feature film won six prizes, including a rare double, at this flagship ceremony of French cinema: César for best film and best director for Dominik Moll.
Actors Bastien Bouillon and Bouli Lanners received the prize for best male hope and best actor in a supporting role, for their portrayal of a duo of PJ investigators who try to elucidate the murder of a young girl , without witnesses.
Inspired by a news item that occurred in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in the Savoie department in France, The Night of 12 delivers a gallery of suspects who don’t even realize the misogyny of their words, and also tackles machismo in the police.
On the male performer side, Benoît Magimel won the César for best actor for the second year in a row, with Pacifiction — Torment on the islands. Never seen.
Franco-Belgian actress Virginie Efira was crowned the César for best actress for See Paris againby Alice Winocour.
The Innocentby Louis Garrel, who was favorite with 11 nominations, is the big loser of the evening, with only one other trophy, for his screenplay.
Dominik Moll, winning his second director statuette, 22 years later Harry a friend who wishes you well, had “a thought for the real Clara, the real victim of the affair that gave rise to the film. Her name was Maud.
He paid tribute to the French public “who have an appetite for films that go off the beaten track”: his Franco-Belgian thriller benefited from solid word of mouth and gathered 509,000 spectators.
The coronation of The night of 12 and its feminist message, however, did not hide the absence of female directors among the nominees for the trophy for best director.
” I miss them “
“The filmmakers had to seize the story” on violence against women, launched one of the film’s producers, Caroline Benjo. “Long live the women and long live the men who join their fight,” she added in a strong speech, heard tears in her eyes by actress Judith Chemla, who publicly denounced the domestic violence she suffered.
This signal was all the more expected since the nominations had even more than in previous years left the directors aside: none nominated for best director, only one for best film (Valéria Bruni Tedeschi).
Several laureates took advantage of their thanks to bring them out of oblivion.
Virginie Efira thus dedicated her César to her director Alice Winocour, and “extended it” to others, including Rebecca Zlotowski (Other people’s childrenalso absent from the nominations).
“We will not be passing through, nor a fad! “, promised filmmaker Alice Diop, César for best first film for Saint-Omer.
To this day, Tonie Marshall remains the only woman to have received a César for best director with Venus Beauty (institute) (2000).
Noémie Merlant had a thought for all those “who should have been celebrated”. “I miss them,” said the actress, César for Best Supporting Actress for The Innocent.
In a completely different category, American star Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance to award an honorary Cesar to one of the filmmakers who forged his game, David Fincher (Seven, FightClub…).
“I salute the culture of French cinema, your commitment to a cinema that reflects what we are smallest and simplest, and not just our heroic aspirations when we put on tights,” said Fincher.
The Caesars have not forgotten Ukraine, mentioned by Louis Garrel (this country “has been experiencing a tragedy for a year now because of this crazy and criminal war”), nor Iran, by Golshifteh Farahani (“Choose this regime or we, the Iranian people”).
A climate activist, supporting the Last Renovation collective and wearing a “We have 761 days left” T-shirt (we have 761 days left) briefly interrupted the start of the ceremony, before leaving. This sequence was not broadcast on Canal+, broadcaster of the Césars.