Jacques Audiard’s tough prison drama A Prophet, winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes, received the Louis Delluc Prize at a ceremony held Friday, Dec. 11, in Paris.
Starring Tahar Rahim (above) as a 19-year-old inmate who must fend off the Corsican mafia, A Prophet has also won the best foreign language film award from the National Board of Review and has been nominated for a Spirit Award in that category. Additionally, it garnered six European Film Award nominations, winning one — best actor for Rahim and a technical prize for its sound design — and is France's submission for the 2010 Academy Award for best foreign language film.
According to Variety, A Prophet has already grossed 7.2 million euros ($10.6 million) at the French box office. The film is also expected to dominate the César Awards early next year.
Other contenders for the 2009 Louis Delluc Prize were Alain Resnais’ Wild Grass, Xavier Giannoli’s In the Beginning, Christophe Honoré’s Non ma fille, tu n’iras pas danser, Claude Miller and Nathan Miller’s Je suis heureux que ma mère soit vivante, Philippe Lioret’s Welcome, Alain Cavalier's Irène, and Bruno Dumont's Hadewijch.
Another prison-focused tale, Léa Fehner’s Qu’un seul tienne et les autres suivront / Silent Voice (above), was chosen the best first feature film. In this well-received drama, a woman looking for her son’s murderer, a petty thief, and a man doing business with a convict have their paths intersect at a prison in the south of France.
Other contenders were Nassim Amaouche’s Adieu Gary, Riad Sattouf’s Les beaux gosses / The French Kissers, Nicolas Saada's Espion(s), and Mathias Gokalp's Rien de personnel.
The Louis Delluc Prize was created in 1937 in honor of the French filmmaker, journalist and cine-club founder. Headed by Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob, the Louis Delluc jury is composed of 20 members, including film critics and industry professionals.
Last year's Louis Delluc winner was Raymond Depardon's documentary La vie moderne, which landed a César nomination in the documentary feature category.