Night ten for 'La isla minimal' at the Goya 2015

Alberto Rodríguez's film achieved 10 of the 19 Goya awards it was nominated for, including best film, best director, best leading actor, best new actress and best original screenplay. His greatest rival, 'El Niño' wins 7 statuettes.

The minimal island It grew and grew until it won ten Goya awards, including best film and best director, with Alberto Rodríguez at the helm. The production triumphed at the gala of the 29th edition of the Goya Awards of the Academy of Cinematographic Sciences and Arts of Spain, which, with the firm intention of resisting, at least musically, started with the voices of Ana Belén, Eduardo Noriega, Lolita, Miguel Poveda, Hugo Silva and Dani Rovira, presenter of the ceremony and also winner. The Malaga native of the year began his speech by highlighting the powerful muscle of Spanish cinema in its best year at the box office. The 130 million euros in revenue and the more than 20 million spectators in the exhibition halls are proof of this.

This good moment of national cinema was echoed in his speech by the president of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, Enrique González Macho, who, in a more optimistic tone than that used in previous years, "despite the fact that the problems are still there", reviewed the successes of cinema in the last twelve months. In the protest part, Enrique González Macho once again demanded a reduction in cultural VAT, which the Government raised to 21%. The president had words of recognition for veterans of the profession such as Asunción Balaguer and winked at the creators of the future, who, in the words of González Macho, are the short filmmakers. The president of the Academy looked at the North American and French film industries, which he gave as an example of how, from two absolutely different models, cinema is understood as a matter of state.

The highlight of the gala came with the Goya of Honor for an entire career, which Antonio Banderas received. The versatile actor, recognized on both sides of the Atlantic, received the warm tribute of the profession in the form of a standing ovation. Pedro Almodóvar himself, who was not inclined to attend this ceremony, presented the award to the actor who was his favorite actor during the 80s and who he said had "always given himself to the characters without fear and without prejudice, setting the screens on fire."

For his part, the honoree used a sense of humor to "soften the compliments that have been offered to me these days (...) I owe everything I am to my profession and to taking life as a child who plays." The actor from Malaga, in an elaborate speech full of poetic images, stated that he felt “very young despite an entire career in which I have met very well-known people and others whom the public does not know but who are part of the great part of the cinema family.” The actor wanted to pay tribute to his parents, "two people who said goodbye to me and made themselves small from the window of the train in which I was on my way to Madrid on August 3, 1980."

Also emotional were the words dedicated to his daughter Estela del Carmen, “my best creation and of which, due to the whirlwind of work, I missed the best shots and sequences.” Antonio Banderas spent much of his speech recognizing the culture of our country: “today I know that our culture and art are the best way to know what we are and how we got here.” The interpreter thanked him for the opportunity that Hollywood offered him, but assured that “every time I finished a shot there, my mind was set on Spain, in Malaga, in my neighborhood, not in Ohio, Cleveland or Arizona.” Banderas concluded with the statement that “the second part of the game of my life has just begun.”

Best performers

The Goya for Leading Actor went to Javier Gutiérrez for The minimal island. This actor makes his debut as a protagonist after a long career as a supporting actor. Bárbara Lennie won the Goya for best leading actress for Magical Girl.

The Supporting Actress award went to Carmen Machi for Eight Basque surnames. The interpreter recognized Emilio Martínez Lázaro and dedicated the award to Amparo Baro, who recently died. The Goya for best Supporting Actor also went to Karra Elejalde for Eight Basque surnames. He shared the Goya with the entire cast and dedicated it to the late Álex Angulo.

The Goya for Newcomer Actor, presented by Terele Pávez, went to Dani Rovira, from Eight Basque surnames. The winner, at the time presenter of the gala, thanked his parents, friends, Emilio Martínez Lázaro and his “partner in all aspects”, Clara Lago, co-star of the comedy and Rovira's partner, for the award.

This year's Breakthrough Actress turned out to be the Galician Nerea Barro for her performance in The minimal island. This actress, known for her appearance in the series El Tiempo entre corazónas, was moved to tears, before thanking the entire team of the night's winning production and "all the women who are mothers" for her award.

Technical Goya Awards

A tap dance number preceded the awarding of the Goya for Sound. The winners were Marc Orts, Oriol Tarrago and Sergio Bürmann for the exciting film El Niño, by Daniel Monzón.

The best Director of Photography went to Alex Catalán for The minimal island while the Goya for best Editing went to José M.G. Moyano, also for The minimal island, which also won the Goya for Costume Design, which went to Fernando García.

The Goya for Special Effects went to Guillermo Orbe and Raúl Romanillos for The Child. It so happens that Raúl Romanillos has six goyas behind him and 16 nominations.

Edmon Roch and Toni Novella won the Goya for Production Direction for the film The Child, a production shot in numerous locations and in difficult weather circumstances. Edmon Roch wanted to share the award with all the people who believe in what they do and with the Andalusian people.

The Goya for best Makeup and Hairstyling went to Carmen Veinat and José Quetglás for their terrifying story of Shrews. For the latter it is his eighth statuette.

The Academy decided that the Goya for best Artistic Direction corresponded to Pepe Domínguez for The minimal island, set in the Guadalquivir marshes, who become another character in the plot.

Music and lyrics

The Langui awarded the Goya for best Original Music to the singer and guitarist Julio de La Rosa for The minimal island. The Goya for Original Song went to the song Niño sin fear from the film The Child composed of David Santisteban, India Martínez and Riki Rivera.

The Goya for best Adapted Screenplay went to Clare García, Cristóbal Ruiz and Javier Fesser for the film Mortadelo and Filemón against Jimmy the Horny. The members of the Academy considered that the Goya for best Original Screenplay should go to Alberto Rodríguez and Rafael Cobos for The minimal island, the great winner of the night-

Little big works

The Short Film awards came after the president's speech. In the Animation category, the Goya went to Giovani Macelli for Juan and the cloud, who asked for more support from institutions for the promotion of short films because “we are not the future of Spanish cinema but the present.” The best short documentary was Walls (If these walls could talk) by Miguel López Beraza. In the field of fiction, the Goya went to Patricia Pon for Coffee to go.

Other categories

The Goya for best New Director went to Carles Marqués Marcet for 10,000 kilometers. The filmmaker left Spain six years ago to try his luck in Los Angeles, but without forgetting his native Barcelona.

The Spanish-Argentine co-production Wild Tales took the Goya for the Ibero-American Film. This work, directed by Damián Szifrol, and with the participation of El Deseo in the production, is also nominated for the Oscars.

The Goya for European Film went to the Polish film Ida by Pawel Pawlikowski. The best animated film was Mortadelo and Filemón. The Goya for best Documentary went to Paco de Lucía: the search, a work that Paco de Lucía could not see finished due to his unexpected death. His son, director of the documentary, assured that "this Goya will have its place next to my father's."

By Siro Jiménez de Alcázar

Access to the GOYAS 2015 SPECIAL.