Norwegian drama 'Sentimental Value' wins six awards at European Film Awards

The Norwegian drama "Sentimental Value" won best film at the European Film Awards in Berlin on Saturday and took home six awards in total. The film, which centers on the tumultuous relationship between an actress and her film-director father, won best director for Joachim Trier, best actress for Renate Reinsve and best actor for Stellan Skarsgard, who last weekend won the Golden Globe for best supporting actor.

Trier also won for the film's screenplay, co-written with Eskil Vogt; in his acceptance speech he said his grandfather's experiences and the "infrastructure" supporting European film had influenced him. Reinsve called her character "heavy to carry" and thanked the sisters who cared for her when they grew up.

Other winners included the French-Spanish film "Sirat," which won five awards including cinematography, sound design and editing; Germany's "Sound of Falling" won for costume design; and the best documentary award went to "Fiume O Morte!," about the 1919 occupation of Rijeka. Organizers moved the ceremony to January from December in hopes of raising its visibility for Oscar voters.

The European Film Awards have not historically predicted the Oscars, and "Sentimental Value" and two of its competitors for best European film — "Sirat" and Jafar Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident" — are considered long-shot contenders for best picture at the Academy Awards, whose nominations will be announced Jan.

Key Topics

Culture, Sentimental Value, European Film Awards, Joachim Trier, Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard