Brazilian film takes home top prize at Locarno Film Festival

Brazilian director Júlia Murat won the Pardo d’oro (Golden Leopard) at the 75th Locarno Film Festival for the film Regra 34. © Keystone / Urs Flueeler

The film Regra 34 (Rule 34) by Brazilian director Júlia Murat has won the Pardo d’oro (Golden Leopard) at the 75th Locarno Film Festival.

“This is an important Pardo d’oro for Brazilian cinema, a nation that has written milestone pages in the history of world cinema,” said Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival.

“Regra 34 brings Brazilian cinema back to the anarchic glories of ‘cinema marginal’, a bold and political work that will surely leave behind an important legacy. The body is political.”

The title of the Brazilian-French co-production refers to the so-called Rule 34 of the internet that suggests that if something exists, it includes pornography. The film’s protagonist is 23-year-old Simone – a law student who lives out various, sometimes bizarre sexual fantasies on the internet and in real life.

The film’s selection for the top prize was somewhat of a surprise to some Locarno watchers. Two entries from Germany, Human Flowers of Flesh and Piaffe, had been favoured but left empty-handed.

The film Tengo Sueños Eléctricos (I have electric dreams) by Valentina Maurel (Belgium/France/Costa Rica) was honoured in several categories including best director, best actress to Daniela Marín Navarro, best actor to Reinaldo Amien Gutiérrez.

The festival’s first WWF green award, added this year to support sustainability in cinema, went to Matter out of Place by Austrian director Nikolaus Geyrhalter. It looks at the work of rubbish collectors and waste managers around the world.

In the Swiss national category, Euridice, Euridice by Lora Mure-Ravaud won the best Swiss short film award. The Best Swiss Newcomer Award went to Michèle Flury for Heartbeat.