With 11 nominations, Fernando Trueba’s fact-based drama “Memories of My Father” (“El Olvido Que Seremos”) made a sweep of the eighth Premios Platino awards held in Madrid, back as an in-person event after the pandemic forced the annual event to go online last year.
With a large majority of Spain’s population vaccinated, life has almost returned to normal, although masks are still required indoors. Colombian actress Juana Acosta and Mexican actor Luis Gerardo Méndez hosted the event, bantering before a spaced apart, masked audience who were instructed to keep their masks on unless they saw a camera trained on them.
Fernando Trueba’s “Memories of My Father,” Colombia’s submission to the international feature film Oscar this year, took home best Iberoamerican film, director, script (David Trueba), actor (Javier Camara) and art direction (Diego Lopez).
Produced by Dago Garcia Producciones for Colombia’s Caracol TV, “Memories of My Father” adapts a modern classic of Colombian literature, “El Olvido Que Seremos,” a memoir of physician-university lecturer Héctor Abad Gómez penned by his son, Héctor Abad Faciolince. Abad Gomez’s incessant criticism of Colombian authorities and their indifference to social inequality compelled paramilitaries to gun him down in 1987.
An emotional David Trueba, Fernando’s younger brother, dedicated his award to two women who have never been in the spotlight but shined for their kindness — their mother and Abad Faciolince’s mother Cecilia Faciolince, both of whom passed away a few months ago.
Fernando Trueba, who won an Oscar in best international feature for his 1994 drama “Belle Epoque,” thanked both the Colombian and non-Colombian team who worked on the film.
Guatemalan Jayro Bustamante, whose political horror hybrid “La Llorona” also garnered 11 nominations, took home mostly technical awards. In one fell swoop – and perhaps to step up the pace – “La Llorona” was awarded for editing, cinematography and sound. It also received the audience award, a good indication of its popular appeal.
The three-hour glittering ceremony, fashioned after the Oscars in its pomp, designer gowns, opening skit and song-and-dance routines, kicked off with the award for best debut film, won by multi-Spanish Goya winner Pilar Palomera for her debut feature “Las Niñas” (“The Girls”), a semi-autobiographic coming-of-age story set in the year 1992.
Chilean Maite Alberdi’s Oscar-nominated documentary about an undercover spy in a retirement home, “The Mole Agent,” snapped up the two awards it was nominated for: best documentary and best film and education in values. “Before the virus, there was already an epidemic of loneliness in these homes,” she asserted, asking people never to forget or ignore their elderly.
Enrique Cerezo, president of producers rights group EGEDA, handed out the Premio de Honor to Diego Luna, who quipped that he’d like to think this was an award for his career trajectory and not a call for his premature retirement. Luna, who turns 42 in December, is the youngest recipient of the lifetime achievement award.
Among the awards for television, HBO Spain’s “Patria” garnered most of the awards, including best series, the newly created best series creator category for Aitor Gabilondo as well as the best actress award for Elena Irureta and best ensemble actress prize for Loreto Mauleón.
“Patria” which received a robust reception at last year’s San Sebastián Festival, was directed by Félix Viscarret(“Under the Stars”) and Óscar Pedraza (“Vivir sin permiso”). Taking place after the Basque Country’s ETA terrorists laid down their arms in 2010, the series focuses on two women whose friendship and lives were greatly impacted by the conflict.
The Platino Awards are promoted by EGEDA and FIPCA (the Ibero-American Federation of Film and Audiovisual Producers) and have the support of the Ibero-American film academies and institutes as well as a number of sponsors in Europe and Latin America.
See the full list of winners below.
BEST IBEROAMERICAN FILM
“Memories of my Father,” Fernando Trueba (Colombia)
BEST DIRECTOR
Fernando Trueba, “Memories of my Father” (Colombia)
BEST SCREENPLAY
David Trueba, “Memories of My Father” (Colombia)
BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC
Aranzazu Calleja, Maite Arrotajauregi, “Akellare” (Spain)
BEST ACTOR
Javier Camara, “Memories of my Father” (Colombia)
BEST ACTRESS
Candela Peña, “La Boda de Rosa” (Spain)
BEST ENSEMBLE ACTOR
Alfredo Castro, “The Prince” (Chile/ Argentina/ Belgium)
BEST ENSEMBLE ACTRESS
Nathalie Poza, “La Boda de Rosa” (Spain)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
“La Gallina Turuleca,” Victor Monigota, Eduardo Gondell (Spain/Argentina)
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“The Mole Agent,” Maite Alberdi (Chile)
BEST DEBUT FILM
“Las Niñas,” Pilar Palomero (Spain)
BEST EDITING
Gustavo Matheu, Jayro Bustamante, “La Llorona” (Guatemala/France)
BEST ART DIRECTION
Diego Lopez, “Memories of my Father” (Colombia)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nicolas Wong, “La Llorona” (Guatemala/France)
BEST SOUND DIRECTION
Eduardo Caceres, “La Llorona” (Guatemala/France)
BEST FILM & EDUCATION IN VALUES
“The Mole Agent,” Maite Alberdi (Chile/Spain)
BEST SERIES OR MINI-SERIES
“Patria,” (Spain)
BEST ACTOR IN A SERIES OR MINI-SERIES
Andres Parra, “El Robo del Siglo” (Colombia)
BEST ACTRESS IN A SERIES OR MINI-SERIES
Elena Irureta, “Patria” (Spain)
BEST ENSEMBLE ACTOR IN A SERIES OR MINI-SERIES
Christian Tappan, “El Robo del Siglo” (Colombia)
BEST ENSEMBLE ACTRESS IN A SERIES OR MINI-SERIES
Loreta Mauleon, “Patria” (Spain)
BEST SERIES OR MINI-SERIES CREATOR
Aitor Gabilondo, “Patria” (Spain)
AUDIENCE AWARD
“La Llorona,” Jayro Bustamante (Guatemala/France)