The European public and the members of the European Parliament have voted Collective by Alexander Nanau the winner of the first LUX Audience Award. In the film Academy Award-nominated film, journalists uncover health care fraud in the wake of a deadly nightclub fire in Bucharest, Romania, in 2015.
After a European tour, including virtual screenings, a live Q&A with the filmmakers and the LUX Audience Week (10-16 May), during which the nominated films were presented online, David-Maria Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, presented the LUX award in front of the institution’s MEPs, invited partners and representatives of all the nominated films.
Accepting the award, Collective director Alexander Nanau stated that it is an award most of all for the victims and their families, underlining that “we want to fight corruption and we want a free press.”
EFA Chair and Honorary President of the LUX jury, Mike Downey said: “Given that the victims and their families have still not been officially recognised in Romania, this award takes on a special significance. The film wages war on corruption and battles for freedom and truth in the press. These are values and goals that should be supported by such a prize offered in the heart of the European Parliament, because these are the real values of the European ideal.”
The LUX Audience Award uniquely unites the votes of the European public and those of the Members of the European Parliament. It is presented by the European Film Academy and the European Parliament, and in partnership with the European Commission and Europa Cinemas.
