The Bill Nighy and Emily Mortimer film halted an expected sweep by Basque movie ‘Giant.’
The Bookshop was named best Spanish film of 2017 at Saturday’s Spanish Film Academy Goya Awards, beating out Giant, which had appeared well on its way to the top prize after garnering 10 awards earlier in the evening.
Veteran filmmaker Isabel Coixet took the best director award for The Bookshop, the story of a young woman, played by Emily Mortimer, who tries to make a success of the bookstore she opens in a seaside English village.
Coixet also won the award for best adapted screenplay.for the movie, which was filmed in English and also stars Bill Nighy and Patricia Clarkson. The film will have its international premiere this month at the Berlin Film Festival.
As the evening progressed, it appeared Giant would sweep the awards as it racked up wins in such technical categories as editing, wardrobe, cinematography, special effects and others. The Basque-language film, directed by Aitor Arregi and Jon Garano, recounts the true story of a young man suffering from gigantism who is taken around Europe by his brother to be displayed as a freak.
Its star, Eneko Sagardoy, who played the giant, won the Goya statuette for best new actor.
After last year’s Goya Awards swerved away from the practice of previous years’ political commentary on controversial issues by presenters, this edition championed women’s rights, especially in the film industry. In a colorful and very Spanish nod to the worldwide movement to empower women and end sexual abuse that was triggered by the Harvey Weinstein scandal, female attendees carried red fans emblazoned with the slogan “#+Mujeres.”
Audience members fluttered their fans and cheered when in her speech Academy vp Nora Navas said, “From today and forever, the Spanish Film Academy will champion equality, respect and opportunity for women.
“It’s not enough to put us in front of the camera. We also need to be directors, editors, scriptwriters, sound technicians and cinematographers until we match the numbers of men,” she told the audience.
Penelope Cruz presented the best film prize along with director Carlos Saura. Cruz and her husband, Javier Bardem, were up for best actor and best actress awards for their roles opposite each other in Loving Pablo, but lost out to Nathalie Poza, for No Se Decir Adios, and Javier Gutierrez for El Autor, respectively.
A complete list of winners follows:
Film
The Bookshop
Director
Isabel Coixet for The Bookshop
New Director
Carla Simon for Summer 1993
Original Screenplay
Aitor Arregi, Andoni de Carlos, Jon Garano, Jose Maria Goenaga for Giant
Adapted Screenplay
Isabel Coixet for The Bookshop
Original Score
Pascal Gaigne for Giant
Original Song
“Leiva” by Alexi Delano for La Llamada
Lead Actor
Javier Gutierrez for El Autor
Lead Actress
Nathalie Poza for No Se Decir Adios
Supporting Actor
David Verdaguer for Summer 1993
Supporting Actress
Adelfa Calvo for El Autor
New Actor
Eneko Sagardoy for Giant
New Actress
Bruna Cusí for Summer 1993
Production Design
Ander Sistiago for Giant
Cinematography
Javier Agirre for Giant
Editing
Laurent Dufreche, Raul Lopez for Giant
Artistic Director
Mikel Serrano for Giant
Wardrobe
Saioa Lara for Giant
Makeup and Hair
Ainhoa Eskisabel, Olga Cruz, Gorka Aguirre for Giant
Sound
Aitor Berenguer for Veronica
Special Effects
David Heras, Jon Serrano for Giant
Animated Feature
Tadeo Jones 2
Documentary Feature
Muchos Hijos, Un Mono y Un Castillo
Ibero-American Film
A Fantastic Woman by Sebastian Lelio
European Film
The Square by Ruben Ostlund
Fiction Short
Madre by Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Documentary Short
Los Desheredados by Laura Ferrées
Animated Short
Woody & Woody by Jaume Carrio
Honorary Goya
Marisa Paredes