'The Ties That Bind' c-2024-kare-productions-france-2-cinema-umedia Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Carine Tardieu's family drama The Ties That Bind Us, based on Alice Ferney's novel L'Intimité, beat out Richard Linklater's Nouvelle Vague to take best film at the 51st César awards, France's equivalent to the Oscars, held Thursday night at the Olympia theater in Paris. The Ties That Bind Us also won for best adapted screenplay and the best supporting actress César for Vimala Pons. Nouvelle Vague, a French-language, black-and-white deep dive into the making of Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 classic Breathless, won best director for Linklater, as well as best cinematography (David Chambille), costume design (Pascaline Chavanne) and editing (Catherine Schwartz). Related Stories Business Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set to Win Movies The Berlinale Is at War With Itself -- and Tricia Tuttle Is Caught in the Middle The love letter to the French New Wave cinema movement was the frontrunner going into this year's Césars with 10 nominations. Netflix picked up Nouvelle Vague in Cannes, where it had its world premiere. Laurent Lafitte won best actor for his turn alongside Isabelle Huppert in Thierry Khifla's comedy drama The Richest Woman In The World, loosely based on the 2010 Bettencourt Affair. Léa Drucker took the best actress honor for her starring role in Dominik Moll's procedural Case 137. Stéphane Demoustier's biographical drama The Great Arch, starring Claes Bang, picked up Césars for production design and visual effects. Pauline Loquès's Nino, a drama about a young man navigating a cancer diagnosis, picked up a César for best first feature and the best male newcomer prize for the film's lead, Canadian actor Théodore Pellerin. Ugo Bienvenu's Oscar-nominated Arco, produced by Natalie Portman, won best animated feature and best score for Arnaud Toulon. Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar frontrunner One Battle After Another took the César for best international film, beating out The Secret Agent, Black Dog, Sirāt and Sentimental Value. Canadian funny man Jim Carrey received this year's honorary César for lifetime achievement. Speaking in thickly anglo-accented French, Carrey said his "great, great, great, great, great, great-grandfather, Marc-François Carré," was born in France, in Saint Malo, some 300 years ago and emigrated to Canada. "Tonight with this magnificent honor, this square (carré in French) has come full circle," he said. The ceremony also paid tribute to French icon Brigitte Bardot, who died on Dec. 28, with a retrospective reel of her career highlights, including scenes from French classics And God Created Woman (1956) and Contempt (1963). Full list of 2026 César winners below Best Film The Ties That Bind Us Best Director Richard Linklater, Nouvelle Vague Best Actress Léa Drucker, Case 137 Best Actor Laurent Lafitte, The Richest Woman in the World Best Supporting Actress Vimala Pons, The Ties That Bind Us Best Supporting Actor Pierre Lottin, The Stranger Best Female Newcomer Nadia Melliti, The Little Sister Best Male Newcomer Théodore Pellerin, Nino Best Original Screenplay Franck Dubosc, Sarah Kaminsky, How to Make a Killing Best Adapted Screenplay Carine Tardieu, Raphaëlle Moussafir, Agnès Feuvre, The Ties That Bind Us Best International Film One Battle After Another, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson Best Original Score Arnaud Toulon, Arco Best Sound Romain Cadilhac, Marc Namblard, Olivier Touche, Olivier Goinard for Whispers in the Woods Best Cinematography David Chambille, Nouvelle Vague Best Editing Catherine Schwartz, Nouvelle Vague Best Costume Design Pascaline Chavanne, Nouvelle Vague Best Production Design Catherine Cosme, The Grand Arch Best Visual Effects Lise Fischer, The Great Arch Best Female NewcomerNadia Melliti forThe Little Sister Best Male NewcomerThéodore Pellerin for Nino Best First FilmNino, dir. Pauline Loqués Best Animated FeatureArco, dir. Ugo Bienvenu Best DocumentaryWhispers in the Woods, dir. Vincent Munier Best Animated Short FilmFille de l'eau, dir. Sandra Desmazières Best Short DocumentaryAu bain des dames dir. Margaux Fournier THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up SXSW SXSW Adds Joey Power's Rom-Com 'Love Language' Scream 7 'Scream 7' Now Has the Lowest Rotten Tomatoes Score in Franchise: "Shockingly Terrible" Heat Vision 'No Man's Land' Movie in the Works With 'Highest 2 Lowest' Producer (Exclusive) Wim Wenders The Berlinale Is at War With Itself - and Tricia Tuttle Is Caught in the Middle scream VI Director Kevin Williamson on Giving Neve Campbell What She Wanted in 'Scream 7,' With Sidney Prescott at the Center Oscars 2026 Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore, Javier Bardem and Chris Evans Join Oscars Presenters SXSW SXSW Adds