Of Gods And Mencquired by Videovision Entertainment for distribution in South Africa won three coveted Cesar Awards at a glittering awards ceremony at the Theatre Du Chatelet in Paris last night. The film won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Michael Lonsdale) and Best Cinematography in Cesar Awards which are the French equivalent of the Oscars. The Cesar Awards are run under the auspices of the French film industry’s representative body, the Academy of Technical Arts and Sciences.
The film also won the National Board of Review’s Best Foreign Language Film Award and was the Grand Prix Prize Winner at the Cannes Film Festival last year.
Of Gods And Menhad its South African premiere earlier this month with lead actor, Oliver Rabourdin in attendance and was released nationally yesterday (Friday, 25 February).
Sanjeev Singh, Director of Acquisition and Distribution for Videovision Entertainment commented, “We are thrilled with the three Cesar Awards won by Of Gods And Men. It certainly is a great film and richly deserves all the awards.”
Directed by Xavier Beauvois, the film stars Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale and Olivier Rabourdin, Of Gods And Men is inspired by a true story and follows the monks of an Order of Trappist who find their pacifist beliefs put to the test. They live in the hills outside Algiers where the community outside the monastery is almost exclusively Muslim, and the monks have worked to foster understanding between themselves and their neighbours by observing Muslim traditions, and becoming well versed in the Koran while providing medical and charitable assistance to the townspeople.
Of Gods And Men is a Videovision Entertainment release through United International Pictures (South Africa).