Maren Ade’s comedy, the first film directed by a woman to win best picture, also scores prizes for two leads, screenwriting and direction

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Toni Erdmann, an uproarious German comedy about a tricky father-daughter relationship, has swept the board at the European film awards, becoming the first movie made by a woman to win the top prize in its 29-year history.



Maren Ade’s movie won best film, best acting awards for the two leads and for Ade herself best screenwriter and best director – the latter from a strong shortlist that also included Ken Loach, Pedro Almodóvar, Cristian Mungiu and Paul Verhoeven.

“And finally some statistics,” said Ade, accepting her award at the end of a long night in Wrocław, Poland. “It is the first time that a film made by a woman wins this award and it is 2016.”

The European film awards were created as a kind of European arthouse alternative to the Oscars in 1988, when Krzysztof Kieślowski’s A Short Film About Killing won best film.

Loach has previously done well at these awards, winning for Riff-Raff and Land and Freedom, and there was a positive mood around his and Paul Laverty’s blistering, stomach-punching portrait of British life below the poverty line, I, Daniel Blake.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Actors, directors and producers of Toni Erdmann with their prizes at the 2016 European film awards: (from left) actor Hadewych Minis, producer Michel Merkt, producer Jonas Dornbach, actor Sandra Hüller, director Maren Ade, actor Peter Simonischek, producer Janine Jackowski and actor Trystan Puetter. Photograph: Janek Skarżyński/AFP/Getty Images

But it was not to be. Toni Erdmann was all-conquering, with Sandra Hüller winning best actress and Peter Simonischek winning best actor.



The film will not be released in the UK until February, but it was lauded by critics at its premiere in the spring in Cannes.

It tells the story of Ines, a serious, sophisticated management consultant, and her deeply embarrassing dad, who enjoys farting, practical jokes, comedy wigs and joke teeth.

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw said it had “a lot of big laughs” and, for all its comedy, it “gradually mutates into something darker and more disorientating”. Variety called it “a humane, hilarious triumph”.

Toni Erdmann did not pick up prizes in Cannes but is a possible contender for best foreign film at next year’s Oscars, with the shortlist due to be released in the coming days.

The European film awards ceremony was held in Wrocław, Poland’s fourth biggest city, chosen because it is this year’s European capital of culture.

The Saturday night ceremony was heavy on political message, with the city’s mayor, Rafał Dutkiewicz, setting the tone when he said: “There is a wave of nationalism going through our continent and nationalism is something similar to stinking sweat. One has to wash it from his body. Take a shower, Europe!”

It was an evening when speakers repeatedly talked about the need to stick together, about the power of film to transform.

Later the choir of the Wrocław University of Economics sang Zbigniew Preisner’s Song for the Unification of Europe.

There was fun too, particularly when a miked-up elderly woman was mistakenly guided carefully from the wings to collect the best production designer award for her outstanding work on Suffragette. At the same time, Alice Normington – the actual production designer of Suffragette – bounded on to the stage to receive her prize.

“I don’t understand why I’m here or what I’m doing but this is a beautiful prize,” said the other woman before being slowly guided off, stately as a galleon.

“I’m so confused now, I’m not quite sure what’s going on,” said Normington, who was encouraged to give her acceptance speech into the host’s face microphone. He asked the next winner for ID.

The evening also saw a European achievement in world cinema honorary award going to the actor Pierce Brosnan who, in his acceptance speech, rallied the audience to come together to make sense of what was happening in the world.

“To all you young men and women out there … keep good strength, keep good faith, whatever the politics of your nation is, be truthful to yourself. Be bold and go forth … make movies.”

A lifetime achievement award was presented to screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière and an honorary award given posthumously to the Polish director Andrzej Wajda, who died in October.

Best European comedy was given to the Swedish film A Man Called Ove and the documentary award was won by Gianfranco Rosi for his film about the migration crisis, Fire at Sea.

Although Loach spent the evening in his seat – across the aisle from Almodóvar, who also missed out – members of the academy did get the chance earlier in the day to hear a speech in which he reflected on Britain’s exit from the European Union.

He had voted to remain but it was a difficult decision, he said, criticising the European Union for being in thrall to big business and privatisation.

The uncompromising 80-year-old director, who changed his mind about retirement to make I, Daniel Blake, called on film-makers to keep fighting the fight, although he joked that they did not have to follow his example.

“For God’s sake, no more social-realist films, please! Make comedies, make fantasies, the films should be as broad as a library, full of the wildest imagination you can imagine.

“We need to make films in many different ways and many different styles, in ways I can’t begin to imagine – but you can.”

