China’s “Atlantic Rhapsody,” directed by Zhong Kaifeng, claimed the best picture prize at the 28th Golden Goblet Awards, capping the Shanghai International Film Festival‘s awards night on June 20.
The Chinese debut feature, which also won best cinematography for Hao Jiayue, led a ceremony that spread recognition across countries and competition sections.
“Atlantic Rhapsody” had its world premiere at the 28th edition of SIFF, where Zhong discussed at a press conference how he shaped the film’s atmosphere through natural lighting and ambient sound design. The film is set in Northeast China and stars Yin Fang, who described the central character as “a figure of that era, someone who wanted to make a big splash but ended up being toyed with by the times.”
The jury grand prix went to Nicolás Rincón Gille for “Iluminada,” representing Belgium. Yassine El Idrissi of Morocco claimed best director for “Halima,” a social realist cannabis drama that marked Morocco’s return to the Golden Goblet’s main competition after a 27-year absence. El Idrissi, who drew on his background as a photojournalist to craft the film, also saw his lead actor recognized: Khadija Amari, a veteran of smaller Moroccan roles who had never previously anchored a feature, won best actress for the same film.
