Roman Polanski's "The Ghost Writer," a
story of a journalist hired to write the memoirs of a British prime
minister, has won the prize for best film at the European Film
Awards.
Polanski, who was awarded the Silver Bear for best director at
the Belin Film Festival, also took five other key prizes at the
ceremony held in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, late Saturday.
Nominated in seven categories, the movie won the best drector
prize, best actor for Ewan McGregor, and best screenwriter went
jointly to Robert Harris and Polanski.
"You have awarded a truly European venture. This is too much ...
thank you very much," Polanski said in an acceptance speech through
a Skype connection from an unknown location. "I wish to thank-
before anything - this wonderful crew I had, a truly European
crew."
It was not the first time that the Polish-born director has
received recognition from the European Film Academy.
The 77-year-old Oscar winning director of movies like
"Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown" was honored with a lifetie
achievement award in 2006 in Warsaw, Poland.
In Tallinn, French composer Alexandre Desplat was awarded for
best composer while his compatriot film editor Herve de Luze won the
production designer prize for Polanski's movie, which was mainly
shot in Germany.
"The Ghost Writer," about the memoirs ofa politician, played
by Pierce Brosnan, is loosely based on former British Prime Minister
Tony Blair.
Its production was a tangled tale for Polanski.
As he was finishing the movie in September 2009 Polanski was
taken into custody at Zurich airport by Swiss police at the request
of U.S. authorities to ace prosecution in a 1977 child sex case. He
had to finish editing the film while in Swiss prison before being
released on house arrest.
In July, Polanski was freed after the Swiss government declined
to deport him to the United States. But he still faces an Interpol
warrant in 188 countries. Most Europeannations, including Estonia,
have an extradition treaty with the United States.
McGregor, who played the ghostwriter, said he had a "fantastic
time" while making the film.
"More than any other part I've played I feel like the director
RomanPolanski had his hands really on my performance and is as
worthy of this award as I am," McGregor told the audience through a
video message from Thailand, where he is currently shooting a film.
Among other prizes at the academy's 23rd annual awards ceremony,
Swiss actor Bruno Ganz was honored with a lifetie achievement prize
handed out by German director Wim Wenders.
Ganz, 69, with a screen career that spans five decades with
memorable performances in Wenders' "Wings of Desire" and "The
American Friend," in which he costarred with Dennis Hopper. He is
also remembered from his acclaimed performance as Adolf Hitler in
the 2004 German drama "Downfall" that portrays the last days of
the Third Reich.
French actress Juliette Binoche presented the European
achievement in world cinema award to Lebanese composer and musician
Gabriel Yared, who has written scores for "The English Patient"
and "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
The prizes - the European equivalent of the U.S. Academy Awards -
have been presented since 1988 by the European academy to celebrate
the continent's film industry as a European counterweight to the
Oscars.
