Aferim!, a black and white historical drama directed by Romanian Radu Jude, was the big winner of the local Gopo Awards Gala organized on Monday evening, March 28.

The movie won a total of 13 prizes, including the most important trophies for Best Film, Best Director (Radu Jude), Best Script (Radu Jude and Florin Lazarescu), and the Audience Award (offered to the Romanian film with the biggest box office success in 2015). Aferim! also won the awards for Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Scenery, Best Costumes, Best Makeup, and Best Hairstyle.

It is not the first time one of Radu Jude's films wins the Best Film trophy at the Gopo Awards. In 2013, Everybody in our family / Toata lumea din familia noastra got six Gopo trophies, including the one for Best Film.

In 2015, Aferim! brought Radu Jude the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival.

Three of the actors who played in Aferim! also went home with trophies from the 2016 Gopo Awards Gala - Teodor Corban (in picture) - who plays the role of Costandin won the Best Actor in a Leading Role, Alexandru Dabija - who plays nobleman Iordache Candescu won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role trophy, and Mihaela Sirbu - who plays Sultana got the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award.

Ioana Flora won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as Paula in Andrei Cohn's Back Home / Acasa la Tata.

Romanian director Nicolae Constantin Tanase, who directed The World in Mine / Lumea e a Mea, won the trophy for Best Debut, and film protagonist Ana Maria Guran got the Young Hope award.

Other winners were Oana Giurgiu's Aliyah Dada - Best Documentary, Andrei Cretulescu's Ramona - Best Short fiction, and Sandra Isabela Tent's Chat with Alice - Best Short Documentary.

Romanian actor Florin Piersic received an award for the entire career, and Constantin Draganescu got an award for the entire activity. Stuntman Paul Fister also received a special prize.

Last year's big winner of the Gopo Awards was Closer to the Moon by Nae Caranfil.

Romanian Film Review – Once upon a time in Wallachia: Aferim! 

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Premiilegopo.ro)