César 2024: Anatomy of a Fall Best Film, Justine Triet Best Director

Since its Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, its destiny seemed written. And his Golden Globes and other BAFTA Awards, in addition to his Oscar nominations, only reinforced this feeling. However, The Animal Kingdom almost prevented its own, by winning in the technical categories.

But Anatomy of a Fall recovered to become the big winner of the 49th Cesar ceremony. In prestige and points, with six awards (highest total of the evening).

And not the least important: Best Film, Best Actress for Sandra Hüller, Best Actor for Swann Arlaud, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Direction. Presented to Justine Triet, second winner in the history of this category… after Tonie Marshall in 2000.

Justine Triet in History

A historic coronation (in the same way as the César for Best Costumes, awarded for the first time to a contemporary film, The Animal Kingdom) in a ceremony without much surprise in the end. Both on stage, with an absence of incident and frank laughter, as well as on the charts.

I will always see your faces opened the festivities, with the César for Best Actress in a Supporting Role awarded to Adèle Exarchopoulos (one of the four nominated for feature film in the category).

And Dog from the Scrapyard created an illusion with its two awards (Best First Film and Best Male Revelation for the inevitable Raphaël Quenard, author of the funniest and most cheerful speech). But the favorites ended up winning.

A daring cinema rewarded

By rewarding Anatomy of a Fall and The Animal Kingdom (five prizes including Best Music, Best Photography and Best Visual Effects), the Academy thus saluted a cinema that dares.

Who has the audacity to venture onto paths (the trial film on one side, the fantastical on the other) that we thought were reserved for Anglo-Saxons only. And which does not sacrifice form over substance, and vice versa.

Two logical and expected coronations, in a 49th edition which took place while #MeToo shook French cinema, four years after the false start of the 2020 ceremony. And where the most important thing went beyond the prices and the quality of the rewarded works.

Jamel’s emotion, Nolan’s class, Judith’s strength

In the unexpected emotion of Jamel Debbouze, who came to present his honorary César to Agnès Jaoui, or the class of Christopher Nolan when receiving his and declaring his love to the French public.

But also, and above all, in this incredibly strong speech by Judith Godrèche on sexual and gender-based violence in the industry, delivered with incredible dignity.

“Let us have the courage to say out loud what we know quietly”

Or in the way in which the winners’ speeches evoked current societal issues, echoing the words of the films for which they were awarded. “For the first time in our career, filming was interrupted by the consequences of climate change”thus alerted the quartet who were awarded the Best Sound trophy for Le Règne Animal. “It’s time for politicians to come out of their denial of reality. What are we leaving to our children?”

Raphaël Quenard, for his part, sent a message of support to farmers while Mathilde Bédouet (Best Animated Short Film for Summer 96) was optimistic: “I believe very strongly in the commitment of my entire generation.”

It is time for politicians to come out of their denial of reality. What are we leaving to our children?

A generation, that of this 49th ceremony, which mobilized in particular for peace and a cease-fire between Israel and Palestine: Swann Arlaud in his speech read by Sandra Hüller, because it was held on film in Norway.

But also Arieh Worthalter (Best Actor for The Goldman Trial), Kaouther Ben Hania (Best Documentary Film for Olfa’s Daughters), Gala Hernandez Lopez (Best Documentary Short Film for Fluid Mechanics) or Golshifteh Farahani, who came to present the César for Best Foreign Film.

Peace symbols and messages

Or on the outfits of Adèle Exarchopoulos, Audrey Diwan and Dali Benssalah, who wore a badge demanding an end to the fighting in Gaza and the release of the hostages. While it is not uncommon for politics to be invited to the Césars, the ceremony has too often been criticized for being disconnected from the outside world for not welcoming these few positions.

In 2024, the Césars not only rewarded some of the most notable films of the past year. They also showed, through films and certain speeches, that they were aware of and concerned about the state of the world.

César 2024: the complete list of winners

Honorary Caesar

• Agnes Jaoui
• Christopher Nolan

Best film : Anatomy of a fall by Justine Triet

Also named:

• Dog of the breakage by Jean-Baptiste Durand
• I will always see your faces by Jeanne Herry
• The Goldman trial by Cédric Kahn
• The Animal Kingdom by Thomas Cailley

Best achievement: Justine Triet – Anatomy of a fall

Also named:

Best actress: Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a fall

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Best actor : Arieh Worthalter – The Goldman Trial

Also named:

Best Supporting Actress: Adèle Exarchopoulos – I will always see your faces

Also named:

Best Supporting Actor: Swann Arlaud – Anatomy of a fall

Also named:

Best of the female revelation: Ella Rumpf – Marguerite’s Theorem

Also named:

Best of the male reveal: Raphaël Quenard – Dog of the breakage

Also named:

Best first film: Dog of the breakage by Jean-Baptiste Durand

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Best documentary film: Olfa’s Daughters by Kaouther Ben Hania

Also named:

Best foreign film: Simple as Sylvain by Monia Chokri

Also named:

Best animated film: Linda wants chicken! by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach

Also named:

Best Original Screenplay: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari – Anatomy of a Fall

Also named:

• Jean-Baptiste Durand – Junkyard Dog
• Jeanne Herry – I will always see your faces
• Nathalie Hertzberg and Cédric Kahn – The Goldman Trial
• Thomas Cailley and Pauline Munier – The Animal Kingdom

Best adapted screenplay: Valérie Donzelli and Audrey Diwan – Love and the forests

Also named:

• Vanessa Filho – Consent
• Catherine Breillat – Last Summer

Best short film: Waiting for Alice Douard

Also named:

Best Animated Short Film: Summer 96 of Mathilde Bédouet

Also named:

Best documentary short film: Fluid Mechanics of Gala Hernandez Lopez

Also named:

Best costumes: Ariane Daurat – The Animal Kingdom

Also named:

Best decors: Stéphane Taillasson – The Three Musketeers (Part 1: D’Artagnan and Part 2: Milady)

Also named:

• Emmanuelle Duplay – Anatomy of a fall
• Angelo Zamparutti – Jeanne du Barry
• Toma Baquéni – The Passion of Dodin Bouffant
• Julia Lemaire – The Animal Kingdom
• Stéphane Taillasson – The Three Musketeers (Part 1: D’Artagnan and Part 2: Milady)

Best Original Music: Andrea Laszlo de Simone – The Animal Kingdom

Also named:

Best sound: Fabrice Osinski, Raphaël Sohier, Matthieu Fichet, Niels Barletta – The Animal Kingdom

Also named:

• Julien Sicart, Fanny Martin, Jeanne Delpanco, Olivier Goinard – Anatomy of a fall
• Rémi Daru, Guadalupe Cassius, Loïc Prian, Marc Doisne – I will always see your faces
• Erwan Kerzanet, Sylvain Malbrant, Olivier Guillaume – The Goldman Trial
• David Rit, Gwennolé Le Borgne, Olivier Touche, Cyril Holtz, Niels Barletta – The Three Musketeers (Part 1: D’Artagnan and Part 2: Milady)

Best edit: Laurent Sénéchal – Anatomy of a fall

Also named:

• Francis Vesin – I will always see your faces
• Valérie Loiseleux – Little Girl Blue
• Yann Dedet – The Goldman Trial
• Lilian Corbeille – The Animal Kingdom

Best photography: David Cailley – The Animal Kingdom

Also named:

• Simon Beaufils – Anatomy of a fall
• Jonathan Ricquebourg – The Passion of Dodin Bouffant
• Patrick Ghiringhelli – The Goldman Trial
• Nicolas Bolduc – The Three Musketeers (Part 1: D’Artagnan and Part 2: Milady)

Best visual effects: Cyrille Bonjean, Bruno Sommier, Jean-Louis Autret – The Animal Kingdom

Also named:

• Thomas Duval – Acid
• Lise Fischer, Cédric Fayolle – The Mountain
• Oilivier Cauwet – The Three Musketeers (Part 1: D’Artagnan and Part 2: Milady)
• Léo Ewald – Vermin