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FESTIVALS Spain

Neds wins Golden Shell at San Sebastian

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Scottish-born Peter Mullan (51) has kept a low profile as a director (in the last 13 years he’s directed only three features), devoting almost all his energies to acting. But given his success, he should perhaps devote more time to filmmaking.

In 2002, he nabbed the Golden Lion at Venice with his second film, The Magdalene Sisters [+see also:
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film profile
]
. On Saturday, his third feature Neds [+see also:
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]
picked up the Golden Shell at the 58th San Sebastian Film Festival.

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Although Neds (see news) is a UK/French/Italian co-production, it is a wonderful example of Brit social realist cinema. Its award got the approval of the trade press, who haven’t hesitated in disagreeing with the jury’s decisions at previous editions. Moreover, Mullan’s feature received a second gong, the Silver Shell for Best Actor for young Connor McCarron.

The event’s other major winner was European cinema, which claimed six of the seven official prizes, except for Best Director, which went to Chilean helmer Raúl Ruiz. However, this honour was partly European, for Mysteries of Lisbon [+see also:
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]
was produced by Portuguese company Clap Filmes.

Spanish cinema didn’t go home empty-handed. Experimental title Elisa K [+see also:
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]
, which is divided into two parts, one directed by Judith Colell and the other by Jordi Caneda, won the Grand Jury Prize, while Nora Navas scooped Best Actress for her performance in critics’ favourite Black Bread [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
(see news). Jimmy Gimferrer took Best Cinematographer for Aita [+see also:
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film profile
]
.

Finally, Bent Hamer picked up the Jury Prize for Best Screenplay for his caustic Norwegian/Swedish/German co-production Home for Christmas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bent Hamer
film profile
]
(see news).

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(Translated from Spanish)

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