The Cesar Awards 2020 caused controversy as Roman Polanski wins Best Director prompting mass walkouts of the ceremony.
Polanski, who has been a convicted sex offender since 1978, has lived in exile in France since fleeing the United States. His recent film, An Officer and a Spy, earned him the top individual award at he Parisian film awards and sparked another heated debate around his inclusion.
Despite his victory, Polanksi was not in attendance at the ceremony after stating beforehand that he feared a “lynching” should he attend. “Activists are threatening me with a public lynching. Some have called for demonstrations, others are planning to make it a platform,” he told Agence France Presse earlier this week. “This promises to look more like a symposium than a celebration of cinema designed to reward its greatest talents.”
Women’s activist groups were staged outside the venue in protest of Polanski’s inclusion among the nominees and, when his name was announced as the winner, French actress Adèle Haenel led the walkouts in disgust.
For the first time since its creation 45 years ago, the awards ceremony did not celebrate a Cesar honoree. According to some sources, Brad Pitt was reportedly approached to receive the career tribute but declined.
Elsewehre in the awards evening, Les Misérables won best picture, Anais Demoustier claimed best actress, Roschdy Zem and more.
See the full list, below.
The Cesar Awards 2020 full winners
BEST FILM
Les Misérables, dir: Ladj Ly
BEST DIRECTOR
Roman Polanski – An Officer And A Spy
BEST ACTRESS
Anais Demoustier – Alice Et Le Maire
BEST ACTOR
Roschdy Zem – Roubaix, Une Lumière
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Swann Arlaud – Grace A Dieu
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Fanny Ardant – La Belle Epoque
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Dan Levy – I Lost My Body
BEST FOREIGN FILM
Parasite, dir: Bong Joon Ho
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Claire Mathon – Portrait De La Jeune Fille En Feu
BEST EDITING
Flora Volpelière – Les Misérables
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Nicolas Bedos – La Belle Epoque
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Roman Polanski, Robert Harris – An Officer And A Spy
BEST SOUND
Nicolas Cantin, Thomas Desjonquières, Raphael Moutarde, Olivier Goinard, Randy Thom – Le Chant De Loup
AUDIENCE PRIZE
Les Misérables, dir: Ladj Ly
BEST SHORT FILM
Pile Poil, dir: Lauriane Escaffre, Yvonnick Muller
BEST DOCUMENTARY
M, dir: Yolande Zauberman
BEST FIRST FILM
Papicha, dir: Mounia Meddour
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
I Lost My Body, dir: Jérémy Clapin
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
La Nuit Des Sacs Plastiques, dir: Gabriel Harel
BEST FEMALE NEWCOMER
Lyna Khoudri – Papicha
BEST COSTUMES
Pascaline Chavanne – An Officer And A Spy
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Stéphane Rozenbaum – La Belle Epoque
BEST MALE NEWCOMER
Alexis Manenti – Les Misérables