1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Live TV
Latest audioLatest videos
In focus
India electionsIranIsrael-Hamas war

Hollywood

January 18, 2010

The German film "The White Ribbon," about strange incidents in a small village on the eve of World War I, has won the prize for best foreign-language film at the 67th Golden Globe awards ceremony.

https://p.dw.com/p/LYPi
Scene from "Das weiße Band" - The White Ribbon
Scene from "Das weiße Band" - The White RibbonImage: X Verleih AG

The German film "The White Ribbon," directed by Michael Haneke, won the award for best foreign-language film at the Golden Globes ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

In his acceptance speech, Austrian Haneke paid tribute to the movie's German, French and Austrian producers and especially to the child actors, who he said are "the soul of this film."

The black-and-white film beat out Italy's "Baaria," Spain's "Broken Embraces," "La Nana" from Chile and the French film "Un Prophete." Last year the German film won the Golden Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival and the European Film Prize.

"The White Ribbon" was filmed in eastern and northern Germany and tells the story of guilt, repression and the roots of evil set in Germany just before World War I.

Haneke's subjects are discomfiting: set in a northern village in 1913-14, it explores the roots of terror and violence and shows authoritarian structures in both family life and a small community.

"The White Ribbon" will also be Germany's candidate for Best Foreign Language film at the 2010 Oscars in March.

The Golden Globe Awards are awarded annually by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Inglourious Basterds

Austria's Christoph Waltz won the best supporting actor Golden Globe for his role in director Quentin Tarantino's film "Inglourious Basterds."

Der Schauspieler Christoph Waltz
Christoph Waltz picked up an award for his role in "Inglorious Basterds"Image: picture alliance / Photoshot

The 53-year-old, Vienna-born actor had already received lavish praise for his performance as the sadistic Nazi army officer in Tarantino's World War II film about a group of Jewish soldiers who lauch brutal reprisal attacks against the Third Reich.

"A year and a half ago I was exposed to the gravitational forces of Quentin Tarantino," Waltz said. "With his vision he took my modest little world and with the power of his talent and his words, he flung it into his orbit. A dizzying experience."

"Inglourious Basterds" won two other awards: for director Quentin Tarantino's original screenplay and for best ensemble. Along with the all-star musical "Nine," it led the field with 10 nominations.

nrt/dpa/AFP/Reuters

Editor: Kyle James

Skip next section Explore more

Explore more

German Cinema 2009 – A Year in Review

There was no economic crisis in German cinema last year. 2009 was a year of prizewinners at the Cannes, Venice and Berlin festivals. In our look back we take stock of what was a very good year for German cinema. (06.01.2010)
January 6, 2010
Scene from the film

Film by Austrian director dominates European film honors

Film by Austrian director dominates European film honors

The chilling drama "The White Ribbon" by Austrian director, Michael Haneke, picked up three prizes, including best film, at this year's European Film Awards in Germany. (13.12.2009)
December 13, 2009
A scene from "The White Ribbon" with five youths walking across a village green

A tale about rural Germany triumphs at Cannes

A tale about rural Germany triumphs at Cannes

Austrian director Michael Haneke won the Palme d'Or for best film at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival for his movie "The White Ribbon", a chilling story about rural Germany in the build-up to World War One. (24.05.2009)
May 24, 2009