“At that time I could not move”: Mounia Shukri recalls the unexpected victory of her film “Simple Like Sylvain” at the Cesar Gala

It was a complete surprise. So much so that Mounia Shukri remained in a state of shock for several minutes when she learned, on Friday evening, about her comedy series Simple as sylvan It won the César Award for Best Foreign Language Film, significantly beating the film Oppenheimer By Christopher Nolan.

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“At that time, I couldn't move. I didn't understand, actually. It took me a while to realize [de ce qui arrivait]», said the Quebec director on Saturday, the day after she won the César ceremony, the fans of French cinema.

We can understand his surprise. During the days leading up to the ceremony, Mounia Choukri was told several times by French press agents that it would take a small miracle Simple as sylvan It won the César Award for Best Foreign Film. Especially since the famous American-British director Christopher Nolan will be present in the room to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

And now the miracle happened.

“I knew my film would be very popular in France,” she says. I felt that way because so many people told me they voted for me. But it still seemed so ridiculous to me to beat Nolan, who was also in the room, that I couldn't believe it. But it happened and it's great!

While on her way to accept her award at the Olympia Theater in Paris, Mounia Shoukry made the audience laugh when she spoke directly to Christopher Nolan to tell him she was “very sorry.” Did she have a chance to talk to him after the ceremony?

“No, so my only interaction with him in my life was, ‘I’m so sorry, Mr. Nolan,’” she said with a laugh.

“My life is beautiful”

In her speech, the Quebec director also emphasized her gratitude by saying that the life she is living is greater than the one she dreamed of.

“When I said that, I was clearly referring to everything that's happening to me, but I also wanted to say that my life is beautiful. I work with my best friends. Three of them are [la productrice Nancy Grant et les actrices Magalie Lépine-Blondeau et Nadia Tereszkiewicz] They were sitting in the same class as me on Friday.

“It's extraordinary to experience this with these close people. I'm healthy, I'm happy, I'm doing what I love in life. I was thinking about all of that when I said my life is big.”

Although she didn't sleep much last night, Mounia Shukri says she had enough energy to celebrate a little with her friends on Saturday evening. But starting Monday, she will be back at work, in this case writing her fourth and next feature film.

“I'm staying in Paris at the moment because I'm writing my next film. I have a very boring life. I just write, go to the pool to swim and have dinner in the evening with my boyfriend. It's a very comfortable life, but it's a life I really like to live.

French #MeToo campaign

In addition to the film's triumph Anatomy of a fall Written by Justine Treat, winner of six awards, 49th^H Césaire's version featured a speech by actress Judith Godrich, who in recent weeks has become a leading figure in the #MeToo movement currently shaking the French film sector.

Mounia Shukri says she was moved by Judith Goodrich's speech as well as the speeches that followed it, including Justine Treat's.

“I found the speeches interesting because they were moderate,” says the Quebec director.

“There was something different about the very vindictive French accent. I found it so beautiful, this welcome of words that ends with Justine Treat, dedicating her final Cesar to all women. It was so beautiful. I thought this film paves the way for the trend that the world of French cinema is experiencing at the moment.