Historic Goya Awards: A Rare Tie for Best Picture Highlights Night of Surprises

The Goya Awards, recognized as the Spanish Oscars, concluded last night with an unexpected outcome that caught many off guard. For the first occasion in the event’s 39-year history, there was a tie for the Best Picture award, with two films being honored equally: El 47 and La Infiltrada, known in English as Undercover.

This signifies the second instance in which a tie has occurred at the Goya Awards, and notably, it is the first time this has happened for the top accolade. The previous instance was in 1991 when two films shared the Best Short Film award.

The excitement on stage was palpable as the casts and crews of both films expressed their disbelief and gratitude for sharing this esteemed recognition in Spanish cinema. Both films delve into significant actual political occurrences from the 20th century, establishing a common ground between them.

El 47, directed by Marcel Barrena, follows the narrative of a bus driver in Torrebaró, a lesser-known area of Barcelona. This driver orchestrated a bus hijacking to advocate for improved social services in his community, a moment that arose shortly after the end of Franco's dictatorship. The film garnered four additional awards, including Best Actor for Eduard Fernández and accolades for Special Effects.

On the other hand, Undercover, directed by Arantxa Echevarría, portrays the journey of a police officer who infiltrates the terrorist organization ETA. The performance of Carolina Yuste was also acknowledged with the Award for Best Actress.

Other notable honors at the event included Pedro Almodóvar winning for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Room Next Door, with Alberto Iglesias receiving recognition for his musical score for the same film. Emilia Pérez took home the award for Best European Film, and Richard Gere, who resides in Madrid, was celebrated with an honorary award.