German Film Awards: “September 5” wins Golden Lola

Berlin. Tim Fehlbaum's thriller "September 5," about the 1972 Munich Olympic Games attack, has been awarded the Golden Lola at the German Film Awards. The German Film Academy in Berlin announced this.

"September 5" won a total of nine awards, including Leonie Benesch for Best Supporting Actress. The screenplay, direction, and editing also received accolades. The film, by Swiss director Fehlbaum, entered the competition with ten nominations.

He recounts the events of the Olympic attack on September 5, 1972, from the perspective of a US television crew that was supposed to be reporting on the competitions.

Instead, the journalists become live reporters of a hostage-taking of Israeli athletes by a Palestinian terrorist squad. "September 5" is a gripping drama, told meticulously and calmly. The film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at this year's Oscars, but went home empty-handed.

The silver Lola went to Mohammad Rasoulof's political thriller "The Seed of the Sacred Fig Tree," about the protests in Iran following the death of the young Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022. Andreas Dresen's drama "With Love, Your Hilde" won the bronze Lola.

Misagh Zare won Best Actor for "Seed of the Sacred Fig Tree." Sam Riley, who was nominated twice in this category ("Cranko" and "Islands"), went home empty-handed.

Alexander Scheer also missed out on an award despite receiving two nominations for Best Supporting Actor ("Köln 75" and "With Love, Your Hilde"). Godehard Giese won instead for "Sad Jokes." Liv Lisa Fries received an award for Best Actress. She portrayed Nazi resistance fighter Hilde Coppi (1909–1943) in the film "With Love, Your Hilde."

The German Film Prize is one of the most important awards in the industry. Around 1,700 guests were invited to the ceremony at the Theater am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, including the new Federal Minister of Culture, Wolfram Weimer.

RND/dpa