‘Happening,’ ‘The Power of the Dog,’ ‘Benediction’ Win 19th ICS Awards
variety.comElsa Keslassy International CorrespondentAudrey Diwan’s “Happening,” Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car” and Terence Davies’s “Benediction” won top prizes at the 19th ICS Awards which are handed out by the International Cinephile Society.
This edition marks a milestone with female talents winning best picture, director, animated film, documentary, debut feature, breakthrough performance and cinematography.“Happening,” a timely abortion drama set in 1960’s France, took home best picture, while its star, Anamaria Vartolomei, won best breakthrough performance. “Remarkable in its combination of artistic delicacy and brutal realism, yet resisting any hint of didacticism, the film quietly builds tension to a gut-wrenching emotional pitch,” stated the ICS.
Campion, meanwhile, won best director with her Western family drama “The Power of the Dog.” Runner-up for top film was Hamaguchi with “Drive My Car,” a road drama based on Haruki Murakami’s short story about guilt and grief.
Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe won the adapted screenplay award. Hamaguchi’s other movie from 2021, “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,” won the Best Ensemble prize. “Benediction” took home three awards, best actor for Jack Lowden who portrays poet Siegfried Sassoon in his younger years, best original screenplay for Davies, as well as cinematography for Nicola Daley.
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