Dogtooth by Giorgos Lanthimos (top); Mo'Nique in Precious (middle); Edgar Flores in Sin Nombre (bottom)
In Giorgos Lanthimos' Dogtooth, winner of the 2009 Stockholm Film Festival's Bronze Horse for best film, a patriarch (Christos Stergioglou) tries to shield his cloistered wife (Michelle Valley) and two daughters (Aggeliki Papoulia and Mary Tsoni) from the outside world. Apart from selected home video entertainment and Frank Sinatra records — the girls believe that's grandpa singing — they live in total sociocultural isolation. Then enters a female outsider to burst that bizarre family bubble. Lanthimos co-wrote the screenplay with Efthymis Filippou.
"An exploration of the fine line between man and animal," reads Sebastian Lindvall's film commentary, "Dogtooth leaves us wondering if society as we know it is in fact nothing but a zoo."
Mo'Nique was voted best actress for her performance in Lee Daniels' Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, in which she plays Gabourey Sidibe's abusive mother, while, in the words of the Stockholm Film Festival jury, exposing "the complexity of a woman torn between repulsion and craving. She has with her musicality, timing and emotional intelligence brought self-deception into the light."
Mo'Nique, winner of a special acting award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, is one of the favorites for the 2010 best supporting actress Academy Award.
Édgar Flores received best actor honors for his tough Central American gang member in Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre. "His character falls into a void at the heart of today's society," wrote the Stockholm jury, "but retains a humanity that shines through every scene that he is in … We know we will see more of this Honduran-born actor and we look forward to it."
Susan Sarandon was also present to receive the Stockholm Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award 2009. Among Sarandon's credits are The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Pretty Baby, Atlantic City, The Witches of Eastwick, Bull Durham, Thelma and Louise, Lorenzo's Oil, Dead Man Walking, In the Valley of Elah, and The Lovely Bones.
Luc Besson, for his part, was honored with the Stockholm Visionary Award. Among Besson's credits as a director are The Big Blue, The Professional, La Femme Nikita, and The Fifth Element.
Photos: Johan Gunnarsson (Sarandon); Jenny Arner (Besson) / Courtesy Stockholm Film Festival
Now that Honduras has had their fair and transparent elections it's time to
gather up and go build some homes in the countryside. It's a shame the world wants to punish these people for the faults of their leaders and the ambitions of others.
im so glad that mo'nique is getting all this rocognition in other fcountries. she' one of our greatest actresses.