Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s ‘Evil Does Not Exist’ wins ‘Best Film’ at London Film Festival
Evil Does Not Exist by Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi has been officially awarded ‘Best Film’ at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival Awards, with the Jury stating, “Subtle, cinematic and underscored by fully realised performances, Hamaguchi’s assured drama supersedes the sum of its parts.
Continuing their explanation of the selection, they said, “It is both a lyrical portrait of family and community, and a nuanced consideration of the ethics of land development. Amidst a strong competition, the jury is unanimous in our admiration!”
Meanwhile, Paradise is Burning by Mika Gustafson received the ‘Sutherland Award’ in the first feature competition. Bye Bye Tiberias, directed by Lina Soualem, won the ‘Grierson Award’ in the documentary contest. Simisolaoluwa Akande won the short film competition for her short film The Archive: Queer Nigerians.
“I’m genuinely delighted and astonished to hear the news about this award. Sincerely, thank you very much,” Evil Does Not Exist director Hamaguchi said. “My heartfelt thanks go out to all involved, especially the cast and crew who diligently toiled behind the scenes. Their exceptional work has always been a source of inspiration to me, and I am sincerely grateful for the result.”
“I would also like to express my gratitude to the judges who recognised our efforts,” he continued. “I want to especially single out Eiko Ishibashi for her contribution to the music. As well as working on the music for the film Drive My Car, she also provided the concept for this film.
“I believe her music played a significant role in bringing this movie to completion and helped it to receive such great reviews. I hope this film brings joy to the British audience upon its U.K. release. And I look forward to visiting London once again in the future. Thank you for this truly wonderful award.”
Hamaguchi previously made the 2021 Oscar-nominated movie Drive My Car. Evil Does Not Exist also picked up the jury and Fipresci prize earlier this year at the Venice Film Festival. Watch the trailer below.
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