The comedy Just like Sylvainby Quebec director Monia Chokri, caused a big surprise at the César ceremony on Friday evening by winning the award for best foreign film, significantly outperforming the film Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan.
• Also read: The film “Comme le feu” by Quebec director Philippe Lesage won an award at the Berlinale
Simple as Sylvain was also preferred over Perfect Days by Wim Wenders, The Abduction by Marco Bellocchio and Dead Leaves by Aki Kaurismaki, which were also in the running for this César.
Everyone in the room expected the award to go to Christopher Nolan, especially since the famous British-American filmmaker was there to receive an honorary César for his entire career.
“I'm so sorry, Mr. Nolan,” said Monia Chokri, just as surprised as everyone else as she picked up her Caesar on stage at the Olympia in Paris. The César ceremony rewards excellence in French cinema.
“Thank you to the Academy and the members who voted for this little Quebec film made with so much love. Thank you to the French audience for watching the film. We make films for the public.”
AFP
After thanking her actors (including Magalie Lépine-Blondeau and Pierre-Yves Cardinal, who were present in the room), her producers, her team and her family, the 41-year-old director concluded her speech with an expression of gratitude:
“I can say today that the life I lead is bigger than the one I dreamed of,” she said.
Monia Chokri's third feature (after My Brother's Wife and Babysitter), the romantic comedy Simple as Sylvain, was presented at the Cannes Film Festival last year. The film tells a love story between a 40-year-old philosophy teacher and a building contractor from the Laurentians who have absolutely nothing in common.
Monia Chokri is not the first Quebec filmmaker to win the César for best foreign film. His good friend Xavier Dolan received this honor in 2015 for his film Mommy.
Let us also remember that Denys Arcand already received top honors at the César in 2004, winning the awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay.