‘Elle’ Wins Best Film At César Awards, Plus Watch George Clooney’s Anti-Trump Speech

The weekend of big awards being handed started last night in France with the César Awards, and likely setting the tone for the next two nights, politics stepped into the spotlight. But first, lets get the business part of the equation out of the way.

Winning Best Film was Paul Verhoeven‘s button-pushing “Elle,” and while it only won one other award, it was Best Actress for Isabelle Huppert. Meanwhile, Xavier Dolan had a great night, with “It’s Only The End Of The World” winning Best Director, Best Actor for Gaspard Ulliel, and Best Editing. “Divines” also netted three awards Best Debut Feature, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Newcomer.

READ MORE: Paul Verhoeven Talks ‘Elle,’ ‘RoboCop’ As Jesus Metaphor, The Infamous Scene In ‘Basic Instinct’ & More [Interview]

However, perhaps overshadowing it all was George Clooney‘s acceptance speech for his Honorary César. Aided by some “translation” help from Jean Dujardin, the two collaborated on some comedic digs at Donald Trump, but Clooney also took a moment to get serious too:

I was thinking about Edward R Murrow as we find ourselves nostalgic for when America was great and when the news wasn’t fake. Maybe his words some 60 years ago can help put things in perspective.

READ MORE: Cannes Review: Xavier Dolan’s Shrill, Shrieking Drama ‘It’s Only The End Of The World’

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must not walk in fear of one another. We must not be driven by fear into an age of unreason. If we dig deep in our history and remember that we are not descendants from fearful people, we proclaim ourselves indeed as we are the defenders of freedom wherever it continues to exist in the world. But we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.

The actions of this president have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad and given considerable comfort to our enemies, and whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn’t create this situation of fear, he merely exploited it — and rather successfully.

Cassius was right: The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars but in ourselves.

Check out the acceptance speech below, followed by the full list of winners.

BEST FILM
Elle, produced by Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt

BEST ACTOR
Gaspard Ulliel, It’s Only The End Of The World

BEST DIRECTOR
Xavier Dolan, It’s Only The End Of The World

BEST ACTRESS
Isabelle Huppert, Elle

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Solveig Anspach, Jean-Luc Gaget, L’Effet Aquatique

BEST FOREIGN FILM
I, Daniel Blake, dir: Ken Loach

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Deborah Lukumuena, Divines

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Céline Sciamma, Ma Vie De Courgette

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
James Thierrée, Chocolat

BEST SHORT FILM – Tie
Maman(s), dir: Maïmouna Duocouré
Vers La Tendresse, dir: Alice Diop

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Pascal Marti, Frantz

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Ma Vie De Courgette, dir: Claude Barras

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Celui Qui A Deux Ames, dir: Fabrice Luang-Vija

BEST EDITING
Xavier Dolan, It’s Only The End Of The World

BEST DEBUT FEATURE
Divines, dir: Houda Benyamina

BEST SCORE
Ibrahim Maalouf, Dans Les Forêts De Sibérie

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Merci Patron!, dir: François Ruffin

BEST SET DESIGN
Jérémie D Lignol, Chocolat

BEST NEWCOMER, MALE
Niels Schneider, Diamant Noir

BEST SOUND
Marc Engels, Fred Demolder, Sylvain Réty, Jean-Paul Hurier, L’Odyssée

BEST COSTUMES
Anaïs Romand, The Dancer

BEST NEWCOMER, FEMALE
Oulaya Amamra, Divines