San Sebastian 2021: Romanian film wins top prize

Romanian film Crai nou/ Blue Moon, written and directed by Alina Grigore, won the Golden Shell for Best Film at this year’s San Sebastian Festival.

The film, starring Ioana Chiţu, Mircea Postelnicu, Mircea Silaghi and Vlad Ivanov, is Grigore’s first feature. It follows the main character Irina, struggling to achieve higher education and escape the violence of her dysfunctional family.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alina Grigore (@alina.al.grigore)

Alina Grigore is known for her role in Adrian Sitaru’s Ilegitim(2016), where she co-wrote the script. The film was awarded in the Berlinale’s Forum section. She also held roles in the series Îngeraşii and Aniela.

Filmmaker Tea Lindeburg won the Best Director Silver Shell for Du som er i himlen / As in Heaven.

The actress in the film, Flora Ofelia Hofmann Lindahl, and Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) received the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance ex-aequo, while the Best Supporting Performance went to the cast of Quién lo impide / Who’s Stopping Us.

Terence Davies won the Best Screenplay Jury Prize for Benediction and Claire Mathon, the Best Cinematography Award for her work in Enquête sur un scandale d’état / Undercover.

The jury also gave a Special Prize to Earwig by Lucile Hadzihalilovic.

(Photo: Crai Nou/ Blue Moon Facebook Page)