“Living is Easy With Eyes Closed” wins big at Spain’s Goya Awards

PanARMENIAN.Net - David Trueba’s Living is Easy With Eyes Closed was the big winner at the 28th Goya Awards ceremony, landing the Spanish Film Academy’s two top prizes -- best film and best director -- on Sunday, Feb 9 night, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Trueba’s film, based on the true story of an English teacher who motivated his students using Beatles music, beat out Gracias Querejeta’s 15 Years and a Day, Manuel Martin Cuenca’s Cannibal, Daniel Sanchez Arevalo’s Family United and Fernando Franco’s Wounded.

Alex de la Iglesia’s fantastical Witching & Bitching swept up eight categories, including most of the technical awards, while Living took six awards — among them original sceenplay, original score and lead actor.

Spanish Culture Minister Jose Ignacio Wert’s decision to not attend the gala, citing an early morning meeting with his British counterpart in education on Monday, was decried by the film sector as a sign of disrespect.

Javier Bardem followed up by calling Wert the “Minister of anti-Culture” just before handing the award for supporting actress to Terele Pavez for Witching & Bitching.

Secretary of State for Culture Jose Maria Lassalle represented the government, along with Film Institute director Susana de la Serra.

But the ceremony was a true testament of stamina and hope for the Spanish industry’s future. “Welcome to the whole generation that is knocking at the door,” Fuentes said in his opening remarks, referring to the fact that not one of the directors nominated for the directors nod had won the prize previously.

Editor Fernando Franco won the best new director for his directorial debut Wounded, while much-loved and oft-nominated Javier Camara snagged his first best lead actor award on his sixth nomination for the category for Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed.

Marian Alvarez won the best actress statue, snagging it in a symbolically young group of actresses with the youngest average age ever for the category.

In his annual address, Spanish Film Academy President Enrique Gonzalez Macho received a round of applause when he announced “making movies in this country is a true act of heroism.” Piracy, subsidy payments delayed for three years or more and a 21 percent value added sales tax on movie tickets were three of the topics highlighted by the president.

Of the Spanish films nominated for the top honors, La Gran Familia is the biggest success at the domestic box office with some €3 million in sales.

Unlike in past years, when the Spanish film industry strained itself to distance from Hollywood’s glamor—proudly picking up awards in faded blue jeans and untucked shirts—the buzz word “elegance” was on display in the long evening gowns and tuxedos. Sunday night’s televised broadcast boasted a two-hour pre-ceremony red carpet special with presenters trumpeting the names of designers like Roberto Cavalli, Giorgio Armani, Roberto Verino, Gucci, Loewe, Naem Khaan, Zuhair Muhad, Carolina Herrera or Adolfo Dominguez, to name a few.

Michael Haneke’s Amour won the award for best European film, while Miguel Ferrari’s Azul y no Tan Rosa won Venezuela’s first Goya ever for the best Ibero-American film.