Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” made a sweep of the 6th Premios Platino on Sunday, May 12, trouncing its fellow nominees in direction, cinematography, screenplay, sound, and best Iberoamerican film.
The annual Iberoamerican awards ceremony, held once again at the Teatro Gran Tlachco within the sprawling Ecotourist Xcaret Park in Mexico’s Riviera Maya coast, was beamed live on TNT Latin America and by 19 free-to-air television networks from Latin America and Spain.
“Roma” was a shoo-in given its nine noms and all the prominent awards it has collected since its Golden Lion win at the 75th Venice Film Fest and culminating in its capture of Mexico’s first-ever best international film Oscar (formerly known as the best foreign language film award), as well as best director and best cinematography Academy Awards for Cuaron.
In a glittering ceremony opened by iconic Spanish crooner Raphael, who received a lifetime achievement award a day prior, the awards night kicked off with co-hosts Santiago Segura and Cecilia Suarez calling out celebrities in the audience, including Manolo Caro (creator of hit Netflix series “La Casa de las Flores”), Nicolas Furtado (actor, Netflix’s “El Marginal II”), thesp Edward James Olmos, and the Academy of Motion Pictures chief, John Bailey.
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Nominated for nine Platino awards, “Roma” suffered upsets in editing, art direction and acting. Nominated “Roma” actresses Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira lost to Paraguay’s Ana Brun for her touching performance in “Las Herederas” (“The Heiresses”). It also took home the Platino Audience award.
In an interview with Spain’s El Mundo newspaper before the event, Bailey said of “Roma”: “Not only is it powerful as a film in itself, but it tells a story that connects with audiences around the world.”
“In the United States it has been a tool to understand humanity, the family and the fact that we are all equal,” Bailey noted, adding, “Roma has become an antidote to the hatred that is coming from so many places, against totalitarianism.”
Among the surprises of the night, Paco Leon’s “Arde Madrid,” trumped its Netflix rivals “Narcos Mexico,” “La Casa de las Flores” and “El Marginal II,” to take home the best series or mini-series prize. Leon thanked producer Movistar+, Spain’s pay TV giant, for giving him the freedom to make the series he envisioned.
The best documentary prize went to “The Silence of Others,” a searing account about the victims of Spain’s four decade-dictatorship under General Franco who seek justice to this day. Docu is executive produced by Pedro and Agustin Almodovar’s El Deseo.
6th PREMIOS PLATINO WINNERS
BEST IBEROAMERICAN FILM
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuaron, Mexico
BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron, “Roma”
BEST SCREENPLAY
Alfonso Cuaron, “Roma”
BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC
Alberto Iglesias, “Yuli”
BEST ACTOR
Antonio de la Torre, “El Reino”
BEST ACTRESS
Ana Brun, “Las Herederas”
BEST ANIMATED FILM
“Un día Más con Vida,” Raúl de la Fuente and Damián Nenow (Spain/ Germany/ Belgium/ Poland)
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“The Silence of Others,” Robert Bahar and Almudena Carracedo. (Spain/ U.S.)
BEST DEBUT FILM
“Las Herederas,” Marcelo Martinessi (Paraguay/ Germany/ Uruguay/ Brazil, France/ Norway)
BEST EDITING
Alberto Del Campo, “El Reino”
BEST ART DIRECTION
Angélica Perea, “Pájaros de Verano” (Colombia)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”
BEST SOUND DIRECTION
Sergio Díaz, Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García, “Roma”
BEST FILM & EDUCATION IN VALUES
“Campeones,” Javier Fesser (Spain)
BEST SERIES OR MINI-SERIES
“Arde Madrid,” Paco León (Spain)
BEST ACTOR IN A SERIES OR MINI-SERIES
Diego Luna, “Narcos: México”
BEST ACTRESS IN A SERIES OR MINI-SERIES
Cecilia Suárez, “La Casa de las Flores”
AUDIENCE AWARD
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuaron