“Story of My Death” Casanova film wins main prize at Locarno Fest

PanARMENIAN.Net - The much-heralded Historia de la Meva Mort (Story of My Death), Alberto Serra’s eerie and dreamlike interpretation of famous 18th-century Venetian libertine and adventurer Giacomo Casanova, won the Locarno Film Festival’s main prize, The Hollywood Reporter said.

The Catalan-language film, which had been rumored to be headed to Cannes earlier in the year, created a buzz after premiering last week and was immediately tapped as one of the favorites for the prestigious Golden Leopard honor.

It was the first time a Spanish film ever won the top award in the festival's 66-year history. Combined with E Agora? Lembra-Me (What Now? Remind Me), the vibrant tale of director Joaquim Pinto’s battle against HIV and Hepatitis C -- which won Locarno’s jury prize -- it made for an Iberian sweep for the fest’s top film awards. Serra is from Spain; Pinto from Portugal.

The Leopard award for Best Director went to South Korea’s Hong Sang-soo for U Ri Sunhi (Our Sunhi). The film was the first ever Locarno competition entry for the prolific 52-year-old. The acting prizes went to Brie Larson for her work in Destin Cretton’s Short Term 12, one of only two non-world premieres in competition, while Fernando Bacilio won the Best Actor honor for thriller El Mudo.

Short Term 12 and Tableau Noir, from Swiss director Yves Yersin, were given “special mentions” by the jury, which was headed by director Lavrente Indico Diaz, from the Philippines. Gabrielle, a drama about a musically gifted girl with a neurological disorder from Quebec director Louise Arcambault, won the audience award for films that screened in the festival’s famous Piazza Grande venue.

The award for Best First Film went to Mouton from French directors Gilles Deroo and Marianne Pistone. The film, which screened in theCineasti del Presente section for emerging filmmakers with their first or second film, also won that section’s jury prize.