With 14 nods, German director Edward Berger's 'All Quiet on the Western Front' started the night as the joint most-nominated foreign-language film in the BAFTA academy's 76-year history.
LONDON - A gut-wrenching war movie from Germany and pitch-black Irish comedy were the big winners as British cinema handed out its annual BAFTA awards on Sunday, with less than a month to go to the Oscars.
Berger credited his daughter Matilda for turning his "doubts into trust", after she told him he had to make a movie of Erich Maria Remarque's powerful 1929 novel, which she was reading in school. The German movie had tied with Ang Lee's martial arts drama Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, co-starring Michelle Yeoh, which also earned 14 Bafta nominations in 2001.
"This is extraordinary. I didn't prepare anything because it's been such an extraordinary year for women," the Australian actress said, convinced that the award would go to one of her fellow nominees.Also on 10 nominations, but faring far better in London, was the Irish tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin co-starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.
"This means the world to me," Butler told the ceremony, still using the Presley drawl that he learned for Baz Luhrmann's movie.The awards suffered controversy two years ago when BAFTA gave a lifetime achievement award to British actor and producer Noel Clarke, only for a series of sexual misconduct allegations to emerge against him.
"He is such an important part of this film, so it's very sad for us that he is not here," producer Odessa Rae told reporters at the awards.
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