Anatomy Of A Fall Announced The Best European Film Of The Year

Europe has already chosen their best films. The 36th European Film Awards noted the ones who excelled the most this year.

The winner of 2023 Palme d'Or in Cannes Anatomy of A Fall directed by Justine Triet was announced the best European film of 2023. This courtroom thriller actually has won in even six categories, including best European director, best European actress (Sandra Hüller), best European screenwriter (Justine Triet, Arthur Harari), best European editing, and best European university film.

Sandra, a German writer, her French husband Samuel, and their eleven-year-old son Daniel live in a remote town in the French Alps. Only one day Samuel is found fallen down from their chalet and, as his death is pronounced suspicious, Sandra becomes a prime suspect. Little by little the trial becomes not just an investigation of the circumstances of Samuel's death, but an unsettling psychological journey into the depths of Sandra and Samuel's conflicted relationship.

It has been a productive year for actress Sandra Hüller who was nominated in the best European actress category not only for her flawless performance in Anatomy of A Fall but also in The Zone of Interest where she played Hedwig, the wife of the commandant of Auschwitz.

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood directed by Anna Hints has received the award as the best European documentary. "Aesthetically, I aimed to convey the intimacy and authenticity of the smoke sauna experience. The decision to focus the camera on the women's bodies rather than their faces was intentional, allowing the viewers to connect with the shared humanity and vulnerability, transcending the barriers of individual identities. This choice echoes the dark, safe, and transformative nature of the smoke sauna itself, where bodies become memory landscapes, and collective experiences are embraced," the director explains her cinematographic intentions.

The Best European Animated Feature Film award went to Robot Dreams by Pablo Berger. It features the Dog who lives alone in Manhattan. Tired of his solitude he constructs a robot, and they become good friends untill one day Dog has to abandon Robot on the beach.

Meanwhile one of the most recognized and famous European actors Mads Mikklesen received the best European actor award for his role as Captain Ludvig Kahlen in Nikolaj Arcel's drama The Promised Land.