Director Olias Barco’s ‘Kill Me Please’, won the Marc’Aurelio Jury Award for Best Film at the Rome Film Festival. The Belgian film is described as “An irresistible, grotesque black comedy, shot in black and white, and very politically incorrect.”
Medical pioneer Dr Kruger (Aurélien Recoing) wants to rectify suicide. His dream is to create a therapeutic framework where suicide is no longer a tragedy but a simple, medically assisted act. His exclusive clinic attracts a cast of strange characters with a death wish: a famous comedian with terminal cancer, a traveling salesman hiding sordid secrets, a rich Luxembourg heir, a beautiful but self-destructive young girl, an old Berlin cabaret singer whose voice is destroyed and a man who has lost everything to his gambling addiction, including his wife. After Dr Kruger consults with each of them about their motives to end it all, each one has the right to a final request. But in the isolated mountains where the good doctor Kruger realizes his dream of the perfect suicide, Death strikes only when IT decides the time has come. The title was originally supposed to be Dignitas, the real name of the Swiss Association for assisted euthanasia.
In an interesting twist, the Marc’Aurelio Jury Award for Best Actress was given to the entire female cast of the Mexican film ‘Las Buenas Hierbas’ (The Good Herbs). Actress Julianne Moore was given the Marc’Aurelio Acting Award.
The complete list of winners include:
Marc’Aurelio Jury Award for Best Film: Kill Me Please by Olias Barco
Marc’Aurelio Grand Jury Award: Hævnen – In a Better World by Susanne Bier
Marc’Aurelio Special Jury Award: Poll by Chris Kraus
Marc’Aurelio Jury Award for Best Actor: Toni Servillo for Una Vita Tranquilla
Marc’Aurelio Jury Award for Best Actress: the entire female cast of Las Buenas hierbas
Special Plaque of the President of the Italian Republic for the film which best emphasizes human and social values: Dog Sweat by Hossein Keshavarz
Marc’Aurelio Audience Award for Best Film – BNL: Hævnen – In a Better World by Susanne Bier
Marc’Aurelio Award for Best Documentary in the Extra section: De Regenmakers by Floris-Jan Van Luyn
Marc’Aurelio Award for Emerging New Talents: Kaspar Munk for Hold Om Mig
Marc’Aurelio Alice nella città Under 12 Award: I Want To Be a Soldier by Christian Molina
Marc’Aurelio Alice nella città Over 12 Award: Adem by Hans Van Nuffel
The fifth edition of the Festival conferred the Marc’Aurelio Award in memory of the Italian screenwriter who passed away on 31st July of this year.
The Festival conferred the Marc’Aurelio Acting Award on Julianne Moore.