Rodrigo Sorogoyens The Beasts Sweeps Spains Goya Awards

Publish date: 2024-08-08

Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s modern-day feminist Western, “The Beasts,” already a box office breakout in France and Spain, swept nine prizes including film, director, and original screenplay on Saturday at a celebratory 37th Goya Awards, given Spain’s big fest prizes and rally at its home box office. 

The upbeat mood was tempered inevitably by the death of Carlos Saura, one of Spanish cinema’s greats and this year’s Goya of Honor, on Friday.     

In a rare departure, a foreign actor, France’s Denis Ménochet (“Inglourious Basterds”) took best actor, winning for his marvellous turn in the conflict-negotiation themed “The Beasts,” as the man in a French couple which settle in modern-day deep Galicia, their cosmopolitan modernity affronting local inhabitants’ sense of self.

Popular on Variety

Related Stories

An Emmy statue with arrows going through it VIP+

‘Hacks’ Post-Emmys Boost Highlights Max’s HBO Problem

max free trial on prime video

Max Is Free For 7 Days With This Prime Video Promo

Recorded in face-off scenes of sustained-sequence classicism, Ménochet’s character finally refuses to back down when taunted by locals. His attitude contrasts pointedly with his wife’s (Marina Fois), shot in the second part of the film with a Steadycam on-the-move mobility. 

Produced by Movistar+ and Atípica Films, “Prison 77,” the movie of clearest big production ambitions – the sort of film which will probably now only be made by platform, national or global, or in international co-production –  took a bunch of technical awards, in fierce composition with “The Beasts.”

An ebullient Juliette Binoche received an International Goya Award from Isabel Coixet. “It’s not enough to be an actress. One must transmit happiness, hope,” she said of her philosophy after 40 years of acting. 

In key categories, endorsed last year on its release by Pedro Almodóvar as “the best Spanish debut for years,” Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s “Lullaby” walked off with best first feature, as well as actress (Laia Costa) and supporting actress (Susi Sánchez) plaudits, a bullish trawl for the maternity drama.   

Uniko producer Ivan Mimambres completed a rare double, winning animation feature and short for Alberto Vázquez’s “Unicorn Wars” and Pablo Polledri’s “Loop” respectively. 

With the stage backed by an enormous photo of Carlos Saura, as if just about to raise his inseparable hand camera to take a photo, Carmen Maura, whom he directed in 1990’s “Oh, Carmela,” paid an early on stage tribute to the director. 

“I’m so sorry I never told him the impact he had on me forever as an actress, she said, tears welling up. 

Actor Eulalia Ramón, Carlos Saura’s widow, read out a note Saura dictated just days before his death. “I would be happy if I’ve served as some inspiration for the directors of today. I see myself as a shooting star in the immensity of the cosmos. Always I’ve said that imagination is quicker than the speed of light.”

In other highlights, Telmo Irureta won supporting actor for his performance in Fernando Franco’s “Rite of Spring” about an insecure woman who begins a physical relationship with a man with cerebral palsy, Irureta’s condition for the last two years.       

Breaking with the tradition of the Goya ceremony as an echo chamber for industry protest, Fernando Méndez-Leite, the new Spanish Academy president, underscored that “It seems by common consent that Spanish cinema is going through a good moment.” 

Indeed, Spanish movies scored a 22% share in 2022, thanks to a broad cross-section of films, the third best result this last decade. Aiding that is the support of Spain’s government, whose prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, a film buff, attended the Ceremony. The film protection fund of state agency ICAA has risen 53% to $114.91 million in 2023, a historical record.

2023 37TH GOYA AWARDS

And the winners are:

FEATURE FILM

“The Beasts”

GOYA OF HONOR AWARD

Carlos Saura

DIRECTOR

Rodrigo Sorogoyen (“The Beasts”)

NEW DIRECTOR

Alauda Ruiz de Azua (“Lullaby”)

ACTRESS

Laia Costa (“Lullaby”)

ACTOR

Denis Ménochet (“The Beasts”)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Susi Sánchez (“Lullaby”)

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Luis Zahera (“The Beasts”)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Isabel Peña, Rodrigo Sorogoyen (“The Beasts”)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Isa Campo, Fran Araujo & Isaki Lacuesta (“One Year, One Night”)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Álex de Pablo (“The Beasts”)

ORIGINAL MUSIC

Olivier Arson (“The Beasts”)

ORIGINAL SONG

“Sintiéndolo Mucho,” (Joaquín Sabina & Leiva for “Sintiéndolo Mucho”)

NEW ACTOR

Telmo Irureta (“The Rite of Spring”)

NEW ACTRESS

Laura Galán (“Piggy”)

INTERNATIONAL GOYA AWARD

Juliette Binoche

ANIMATED FEATURE

“Unicorn Wars,” (Alberto Vazquez)

IBERO-AMERICAN FILM

“Argentina 1985,” (Santiago Mitre, Argentina)

EUROPEAN PICTURE

“The Worst Person in the World,” (Joachim Trier, Norway)

DOCUMENTARY

“Labordeta, Un Hombre Sin Más,” (Gaizka Urresti & Paula Labordeta)

LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM

“Arquitectura Emocional 1959,” (León Siminiani)

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

“Loop,” (Pablo Polledri)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

“Maldita: A Love Song to Sarajevo,” (Amaia Remírez García & Raúl de la Fuente)

EDITING

Alberto del Campo (“The Beasts”)

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Manuela Ocón (“Prision 77”)

COSTUME DESIGN

Fernando García (“Prison 77”)

ART DIRECTION

Pepe Dominguez del Olmo (“Prison 77”)

SOUND

Aitor Berenger, Fabiola Ordoyo & Yasmina Praderas (“The Beasts”)

MAKEUP AND HAIR DESIGN

Yolanda Piña & Félix Terreno (“Prison 77”)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Ana Rubio, Esther Ballesteros (“Prison 77”)

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXN%2FjpqumqqUqHyouM6bmKVnl6TGonnAsJirnKNiv7Cw0aKeqGWjpL%2Bws86ynKdlpJ2ybq7Emqqtq11mf3SBlGtnbGhmZA%3D%3D