Cillian Murphy presents ‘BFI Fellowship’ to Christopher Nolan
Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy presented his long-time friend and collaborator Christopher Nolan with the organisation’s ‘BFI Fellowship’ award, the highest honour bestowed by the British Film Institute.
A working relationship that dates back almost two decades, the pair have partnered on the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk, and most recently Oppenheimer. The latter secured 13 nominations at the Academy Awards, establishing Nolan and Murphy among the front-runners to be named ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Actor’ respectively.
Nolan was chosen as the latest recipient of the ‘BFI Fellowship’ for his “extraordinary achievements and enormous contribution to cinema as one of the world’s most innovative and influential directors,” according to the institute.
“For the last 25 years Christopher Nolan has been making films that are unique, boundary-pushing, singular, provocative, ambitious and unforgettable,” the actor said at the ceremony on February 14th in London. “He is a one-in-a-million, a true legend, one of the greatest directors in the world.”
Beyond their fruitful time spent on set, Murphy also paid tribute to Nolan as a person. “It is a privilege of mine to know him, and to have worked with him so closely over the last 20 years,” he continued. “I have the utmost respect for him as an artist and a human being.”
Nolan also paid tribute to wife and producing partner Emma Thomas, as well as others from all walks of life who’ve assisted him during his illustrious career.
“So many people have helped me, so many people have been there for me, in so many different ways,” the filmmaker said. “I’m very moved to receive this, very moved by the presentation. This means the world to me.”
In a four-star review of Oppenheimer, Far Out wrote: “With Oppenheimer, Nolan hasn’t just delivered an entertaining, thought-provoking movie as he had done with his previous efforts, but a thoroughly important one that informs even the most sheltered of us about the global situation we find ourselves in today.”
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