Spain gives out its academy awards

There was a marked political accent to Spain’s 40th Goya academy award ceremony held in Barcelona on Saturday.

With the bombing of Iran by the US and Israel starting just hours previously, the ceremony was reminiscent of the ‘No a la Guerra’ edition of 2003 when actors spoke out against the war on Iraq.

From international award recipient Susan Sarandon to the president of the academy, Fernando Méndez-Leite, numerous winners used their acceptance speeches to call for an end to the bombing and to the violence in Gaza, Ukraine and against migrants in the USA.

The triumphant film on the night was Los Domingos, the story of a teenage girl who wants to be a nun. Directed by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, the film took most of the major awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Patricia López Arnaiz), Best Original Script and Best Supporting Actress.

Sirāt, Spain’s nominee for the Oscar for the Best International Feature Film, came away from the gala with six of the more technical Goyas.

Picking up the international award, Susan Sarandon contributed one of the loudest voices in the anti-war message delivered on the evening. Wearing a Free Palestine pin, Sarandon cited Spain’s stance on international issues as a source of strength.

“In these days in which the world is so dominated by violence, by cruelty, I look around and I see your president and many artists of this country who speak with such moral lucidity that it helps me where I am, in the middle of the chaos of repression. It helps me feel less alone and feel that I am part of a larger community, and I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart,” she said.

Local success at the Goyas came in the form of the award for the Best Animated Short Film. Gilbert, the story of friendship and the power of music is produced by the Malaga-based agency Freak. Producer Mónica Gallego joined the film’s three directors, who met at a workshop for the unemployed, on stage to receive the prize.

Sorda, the film that won the Biznaga de Oro prize at the Malaga film festival last year, came away with three Goyas on Saturday. Best Supporting Actor Álvaro Cervantes, who plays the hearing husband of a deaf woman who gets pregnant, dedicated his prize to his stage wife Miriam Garlo. She was later on stage herself to pick up the Best Newcomer Actress award, becoming the first deaf Goya winner. The film’s director Eva Libertad picked up the Best Newcomer Director award.