the triumph of “La Nuit du 12”, the first trophy for Virginie Efira… What to remember from this 48th edition

The Night of 12 succeeds the lost illusions. Dominik Moll’s thriller, which tells the investigation of two police officers from the PJ of Grenoble on a feminicide, won six César at the 48th French cinema awards ceremony, Friday February 24. At the Olympia, in Paris, the film therefore emerged victorious from the duel which pitted it against The Innocent by Louis Garrel, another big favorite with 11 nominations, finally winner in two categories (best original screenplay and best actress in a supporting role for Noémie Merlant).

>> Relive the 48th Cesar ceremony

This evening will also have been marked by the successful opening speech of Jamel Debbouze, the pungent jokes of Jérôme Commandeur against the Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak, Brad Pitt’s surprise tribute to director David Fincher and the long-awaited consecration for Virginie Efira. The few minutes of hesitation due to the incursion of an environmental activist, scene cut by the broadcaster Canal +, slightly disrupted a ceremony where the female voice was heard. Franceinfo summarizes this 48th edition of the Césars for you.

“The Night of 12”, big winner

The Night of 12 won the favorites match against The Innocent. Nominated 10 times, winner in six categories, Dominik Moll’s film is the big winner of this 48th edition. This thriller won the César for Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Bouli Lanners), Best Male Newcomer (Bastien Bouillon), Best Sound and best fit.

This feature film is indeed taken from the book by Pauline Guéna 18.3 – a year at the PJ (ed. Gallimard, 2021). “I have a thought for the real Clara, the real victim of the case that gave rise to the film. Her name was Maud”, said Dominik Moll when he received the César for best film. Note that the filmmaker won his second César for best director after the one received in 2001 for Harry, a friend who wishes you well.

First César for Virginie Efira

Virginie Efira will have waited for her fifth nomination to finally be crowned. The Belgian actress won the César for best actress for her role survivor of an attack In See Paris again, by Alice Winocour. At 45, she has become one of the essential faces of French cinema, she herself laughed at it when receiving her award: “At the same time, I made 63 films this year, so arithmetically, I had given myself a bit of a chance.” “This film (is) fair, beautiful, comforting, cathartic, thank you for paying tribute to the victims”she said, dedicating the award to the film’s director Alice Winocour and all “the other directors” who accompanied her.

Benoît Magimel makes history

A few minutes after presenting the César for best actress to her partner in See Paris again, Benoît Magimel returned to the stage, this time to be honoured. He won the César for best actor for his role in Pacifiction – Torments on the Islands by Albert Serra, the second in a row for the 48-year-old actor crowned last year for his score in In his lifetimeby Emmanuelle Bercot.

“I didn’t think I had so much freedom as an actor on this film, that it was possible to be so free, he assuredtonight is a pretty crazy time.” With two awards, he joined a prestigious list: Philippe Noiret (1976, 1990), Gérard Depardieu (1981, 1991), Daniel Auteuil (1987, 2000), Michel Bouquet (2002, 2006), Mathieu Amalric (2005, 2008). But he is the first to do the double in a row.

Brad Pitt surprises his “partner in crime” David Fincher

David Fincher was honored with an Honorary Cesar. Major filmmaker of the last thirty years (The Social Network, Gone Girl, Zodiac, Millennium, among others) and creator of series for Netflix (House of Cards, mindhunter), the American director was surprised to be presented with the statuette by his friend Brad Pitt with whom he shot Seven, fight club And The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The actor recalled how much David Fincher could be a perfectionist and could manhandle his teams on a set, quoting in particular one of the sentences that the director can say: “I wish you all had fun, but that’s what weekends are for.” He also welcomed “one of our greatest story counters” and estimated that he had changed his life “for all time” by offering him the role of Inspector Mills in Seven.

Feminist speeches

It was one of the controversies that had accompanied the nominations: the absence of women in the category of best director. The invisibilization of women was often pointed out during the ceremony. Alice Diop, winner with Saint Omer of the best first film, paid tribute to her sisters. “This year, I saw extraordinary films which made me reflect on the possibilities of cinema (…) thank you, we will not be passing through, nor a fad, we are called upon to renew ourselves and to s ‘enlarge”, she said. The actress Eye Haïdara, she has criticized pay inequalities at the time of presenting the César for best actress in a supporting role. “If I had been a producer, I would have paid you like a male actor”she launched to the five named.

Another highlight, the César for best original music awarded to Irène Drésel for the film Full time by Eric Gravel. The electro artist has become the first woman to be awarded in this category in 48 editions. “Over these long years, five women have previously been nominated but none of them have ever been rewarded, so I dedicate this César above all to all women composers”she shouted to drown out the music that meant her speaking time was up.

The censored intervention of an environmental activist

Ahmed Sylla in the middle of a sketch with Léa Drucker to announce technical Caesars could not believe it. “It had to fall on me”said the comedian. “That”she is an activist environmentalist who burst onto the Olympia stage wearing a T-shirt with the slogan on it “We have 761 days left” (“We have 761 days left” ), with reference to the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the website address of the group of environmental activists “Last renovation”who quickly claimed this action.

Canal+ very quickly interrupted the retransmission to display a trailer and the following message: “The 48th Cesar ceremony was interrupted following an incident. We apologize for this, we are doing everything we can to resume broadcasting as soon as possible.” The activist was evacuated by security and the ceremony resumed. In his messages of claim on Twitter“Last renovation” evoked the ecological emergency and in particular the winter drought to justify its action.

The full list

Best film : The Night of 12directed by Dominik Moll

Best Achievement : Dominik Moll (The Night of 12)

Best Actress : Virginie Efira (See Paris again)

Best actor : Benoît Magimel (Pacifiction – Torments on the Islands)

Best Supporting Actor : Bouli Lanners (The Night of 12)

Best Supporting Actress : Noémie Merlant (The Innocent)

Best Male Hope : Bastien Bouillon (The Night of 12)

Most promising Actress : Nadia Tereszkiewicz (The Almond Trees)

Best Original Screenplay : Louis Garrel, Tanguy Viel and Naïla Guiguet (The Innocent)

Best adaptation : Gilles Marchand and Dominik Moll (The Night of 12)

Best First Film : Saint-Omerdirected by Alice Diop

Best Animated Film : My Afghan family, directed by Michaela Pavlatova

Best Documentary Film : Back to Reims [Fragments], directed by Jean-Gabriel Périot

best foreign film : As Bestas, directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Best Original Score : Irene Dresel (Full time)

best sound : Francois Maurel, Olivier Mortier and Luc Thomas (The Night of 12)

best picture : Arthur Tort (Pacifiction – Torments on the Islands)

Best costumes : Gigi Lepage (Simone, the trip of the century)

Best sets : Christian Marty (Simone, the trip of the century)

Best Visual Effects : Laurens Hermann (Notre Dame is burning)

Best Editing : Mathilde Van Moortel (Full time)

Best Short Fiction Film : leave one daydirected by Amélie Bonnin

Best Documentary Short : Maria Schneider, 1983directed by Elisabeth Subrin

Best Animated Short : Granny’s Sex Life, directed by Urška Djukić and Emilie Pigeard