The 12th Gaudí Awards ceremony – the ‘Catalan Oscars’ – took place on Sunday evening at the International Barcelona Convention Centre, with La hija de un ladrón and Els dies que vindran being the biggest winners with 3 prizes each.
Awards were given in a total of 21 different categories, one of the most gender-equal editions of the Gaudís in terms of nominations, with a larger than usual number of women.
Maria Rodríguez won Best Female Lead for her role in Carlos Marqués-Marcet‘s Els dies que vindran, which also won Best Catalan Language Film and Best Editing. It is about is a young couple, Vir and Lluís, who find out Vir is pregnant only a year into their relationship. The movie follows Vir’s pregnancy, and their relationship, over nine months.
La hija de un ladrón also won three awards at the Gaudí’s: Best Non-Catalan Language Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Director for Belén Funes. Funes’ film delves into the life of a young mother, Sara, whose father is released from prison and is back in the picture after having been absent for many years.
Karra Elejalde was awarded with Best Male Lead for Mientras dure la guerra, directed by the famed Alejandro Amenábar.
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When it was Catalan Film Academy president Isona Passola‘s turn to speak, she used the platform as another opportunity to denounce what she had already described as the decline of Catalan cinema due to a lack of funding: ‘Unfortunately, this year we have hit rock bottom.’
The event was also attended by Spain’s new culture minister, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and the Catalan Parliament speaker Roger Torrent.
The Gaudí Award, an original bronze figure with a 4kg kilos weight, is a design by the sculptors Montse Ribé and David Martí, and inspired by the warriors’ heads on the roof of Gaudí’s La Pedrera building in Barcelona.
Best Catalan Language Film: Els dies que vindran
Best Non-Catalan Language Film: La hija de un ladrón
Best Female Lead: Maria Rodríguez, for Els dies que vindran
Best Male Lead: Karra Elejalde, for Mientras dure la guerra
Best Director: Belén Funes, for La hija de un ladrón
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