The 9th Shanghai International Film Festival closed out its awards ceremony last night by living up to its promise to promote greater cooperation between Chinese and foreign movie makers. 　　

 

The winners featured a steady line of directors, writers and performers from overseas. Among the stars walking the red carpet on closing night was the famous French actress Catherine Deneuve. 　　

 

The German production Four Minutes, centered around a young girl who kills someone and is later transformed into a musical wunderkind by an 80-year-old piano teacher, won the top prize for best feature film. 　　

 

"I'm really moved," said director Chris Kraus. "The film, with a theme of love and hate, took us eight years to make. It was a hard job; I won't forget this honor." 　

 

French filmmaker Luc Besson, the president of the festival's jury panel, said, "It took the judges no more than four minutes to give the Golden Goblet prize to this movie with its fascinating directing and cinematography." 　　

 

China's The Forest Ranger by Qi Jian, a touching story about three rangers who protect the country's woodlands, earned the Jury Grand Prix while France's Fabienne Godet received the Best Director Award for her Burnt Out.

 

French star Olivier Gourmet won best actor award for his honest and moving portrayal of a middle-aged father in Burnt Out. Belgium's Els Dottermans took the best actress award for her role as a strong-willed mother in Love Belongs to Everyone. The best screenplay award was given to Belgium's Hugo Laere for the same film. 　　

 

Best cinematography went to Italy's Fabio Cianchetti, who shot The Land. The New Zealand film River Queen captured the best music award. 　　

 

Seventeen films from 16 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Spain took part in the competition for the Golden Goblet Awards during the nine-day event. 　　

 

Capping the ceremonies last night, Deneuve was given an award for outstanding lifetime achievement. 　　

 

"It is a great honor to me," Deneuve said. "But I want to share it with Qin Yi, a great Chinese actress and artist," she said as Qin handed her the award. 　　

 

During an interview just before the closing ceremony, she jokingly called herself a "strong tree" rather than a "young tree" in film art. 　　

 

"Twenty years ago I came to Shanghai for the first time, but today I just can't recognize the city," she said. 　　

 

On Saturday night, the Asian new talent award for best film went to Vietnamese director Bui Thac Chuyen's Living in Fear, which portrays the wounds left by the Vietnam War on the country's people.

 

(Shanghai Daily June 26, 2006)