NRW-supported coproduction “Post Tenebras Lux” wins award for direction in Cannes

• German coproducer is Cologne-based “The Match Factory”
• NRW-supported documentary film “Sofia’s Last Ambulance” by Ilian Metev wins France 4 Visionary Award in the Semaine de la Critique
• Petra Müller: “These awards show that NRW coproductions and NRW producers can do more than hold their own against international competition”

Two NRW-supported coproductions received prizes at the 65th International Film Festival in Cannes (16th-27th May), which came to its conclusion with the award ceremony today.

The prize for direction went to Carlos Reygadas’ drama “Post Tenebras Lux”, which celebrated its world premiere in the festival competition on Thursday. German coproducer is Michael Weber from the Cologne-based company The Match Factory. Reygadas, who also wrote the screenplay for his film, observes a Mexican couple who cannot come to terms with the hardship of a life working the land. The leading roles are played by Adolfo Jiménez Castro and Nathalia Acevedo. The film was made with participation by ARTE and production support from the Filmstiftung NRW. A total of 22 productions were in the running for the prizes in this year’s competition. The film festival’s Golden Palm was awarded to Michael Haneke and his film “Amour”: German coproducer is X Filme.

“Our congratulations go to Carlos Reygadas, Michael Weber, and his team from the Cologne company, Match Factory, but also to Ilian Metev and Ingmar Trost from Sutor Kolonko in Cologne! Once again, these awards show that films made as NRW coproductions can do more than hold their own against international competition,” saysPetra Müller, CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. "The fact that the Golden Palm went to Michael Haneke’s drama about growing old and dying, ‘Amour’, was no surprise at all after its presentation. Congratulations to the producers and to ‘X Filmer’, Stefan Arndt!”

“Sofia’s Last Ambulance”, a documentary film by German-Bulgarian director Ilian Metev, received the France 4 Visionary Award. The film competed in the section “Semaine de la Critique” in Cannes. The Cologne-based company Sutor Kolonko Filmproduktion realized the German-Bulgarian-Croatian coproduction together with WDR in cooperation with ARTE and with support from Filmstiftung NRW. “Sofia’s Last Ambulance” received the award despite being the only documentary film among a total of seven nominations. It sheds light on the everyday working life of a team of emergency doctors in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, where 13 ambulances have to care for 2 million people. The three protagonists, a doctor, a nurse and an ambulance driver, struggle against the collapsing health system and everyday adversities in the big city.

During the festival, Filmstiftung NRW was available in the German Pavilion on the Marché du Film, where it drew many international and German visitors to the festival. NRW was represented by a total of five films in the festival sections.