The 51st César Awards was always going to be a special evening for director Richard Linklater. After all, he had 10 nominations to his name for Nouvelle Vague. He was bound to win something, right? Well, the good news is that he walked away with four wins, including Best Editing, Best Costumes, Best Cinematography and Best Director. But even better news is that Linklater’s win makes him only the second American-born director to win Best Director at the Césars.
If you’re wondering who the first was… Joseph Losey did it in 1976 for Monsieur Klein, a film set during World War II and follows a character named Robert Klein who gets mistaken for a Jewish man with the same name.
Netflix’s Nouvelle Vague is a lot different. The black and white film is set during 1950s in Paris and focuses on the making of Breathless. Netflix purchased Nouvelle Vague at Cannes in 2025. It even made France’s Oscar shortlist before the selection committee chose Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident instead. In retrospect, that seems like a mistake.
So, yes, if you’re counting, Richard Linklater now has a César trophy for best director, but doesn’t have an Oscar yet. Isn’t that something?
As far as the other awards of the evening go, the night’s biggest prize, Best Film, didn’t go to Linklater or Panahi. Carine Tardieu’s L’attachement, which premiered in Venice in 2024, got the win. The Ties That Bind Us follows a shy bookseller who becomes the emotional anchor for a grieving family next door. It also earned Best Adapted Screenplay and a Supporting Actress win for Vimala Pons.
Another surprise was Léa Drucker beating Isabelle Huppert and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi for Best Actress with Case 137. Laurent Lafitte won Best Actor for The Richest Woman in the World. Ugo Bienvenu’s Arco, produced by Natalie Portman, grabbed Best Animated Feature and Best Original Music, while Pauline Loquès’ Nino picked up Best First Film and Male Newcomer for Théodore Pellerin.
But the night wasn’t done with surprises just yet. Comedian Jim Carrey received an honorary César (introduced by Michel Gondry). He then surprised everyone by delivering his entire speech in French. “As an actor, each character you play is like clay in the sculptor’s hands, which you shape to your heart’s desire. How fortunate I have been to share this art with so many people who have truly opened their hearts to me,” Carrey said.
The actor even traced his family’s lineage back “about 300 years ago” to Marc-François Carré of Saint-Malo. “Tonight with this magnificent honor, this square has come full circle.”
So, yes, it was a special evening for America. Richard Linklater left with a trophy that France very rarely hands over to the US.
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