Elliott Crosset Hove received the Best Actor Award at the Locarno Festival for his performance in Hlynur Pálmason's feature film debut "Winter Brothers." The festival in southern Switzerland is one of Europe's oldest, celebrating auteur films and new talents.
"Winter Brothers," which participated in the main competition of the festival, also received three other prizes by independent juries: a Special Mention by the Ecumenical Jury, the Europa Cinemas Label distribution award and the Junior Jury's First Prize.
Strong performance in white
Elliott Crosset Hove receives the award for his performance as Emil in a story of two brothers who work in a limestone factory. The film follows their routines, habits and rituals, focusing on the youngest brother Emil and his need to be loved and desired.
The jury members, presided over by French filmmaker Olivier Assayas, motivates their choice with these words:
"In the film, Elliott Crosset Hove drops into the white: of the icy winter forest and the density of the chalk mine in which Emil works. White is also the character of his persona, wild-eyed and marginalized, who dreams of his neighbor while he distills strange liquors with chemicals stolen from the mine." Read the full motivation
Recent titles with Elliott Crosset Hove on the cast include "In the Blood" by Rasmus Heisterberg and "Parents" by Christian Tafdrup as well as the TV series "Follow the Money".
The festival's Best Actress Award went to Isabelle Huppert for her role in "Madame Hyde".
More about the film
Most of "Winter Brothers" is shot on 16mm in a Danish limestone quarry. Playing opposite Elliott Crosset Hove's Emil is Simon Sears in the role of the big brother. The cast also includes Peter Plaugborg, Michael Brostrup, Victoria Carmen Sonne and Lars Mikkelsen.
"Winter Brothers" is produced by Julie Waltersdorph Hansen and Per Damgaard Hansen for Masterplan Pictures and is the company's first feature film. Anton Máni Svansson has co-produced for Icelandic Join Motion Pictures. The film has received support from the Danish Film Institute's talent scheme New Danish Screen and co-production support from the Icelandic Film Center.
Locarno Festival 2-12 August 2017
Vinterbrødre
En broderodysse sat i et arbejdermiljø under en kold vinter. Vi følger to brødre, deres rutiner, vaner og ritualer samt en voldelig splid, der udvikler sig mellem dem og en anden familie. En fortælling om mangel på kærlighed, med fokus på den yngste bror og hans behov for at blive elsket og begæret.
