By Roisin O'Connor, independent.co.uk
Sep 7, 2019

Director did not attend the festival and the prize was instead collected by his wife Emmanuelle Seigner, who stars in the film.

Roman Polanski has won the Grand Jury Prize for 'An Officer and a Spy' (J'accuse), despite controversy over the director’s inclusion at Venice Film Festival.

The film, which stars Jean Dujardin and Louis Garrel, is based on Robert Harris’s novel about the Dreyfus affair in 1895 France.



French Captain, Alfred Dreyfus, was wrongfully convicted of treason in 1894 and was sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil’s island.

The film has received positive reviews but also controversy regarding Polanski, who was convicted of statutory rape in 1978 and has faced other allegations of sexual assault.

Polanski did not travel to the festival or attend the ceremony to collect his prize, which was instead collected by his wife Emmanuelle Seigner who stars in the film.



Chair of the jury, Argentine director Lucrecia Martel, had previously defended the film’s inclusion, while also admitting it made her “uncomfortable” and saying she would refuse to congratulate Polanski.

“I will not congratulate him, but I think it is correct that his movie is here at this festival,” she said during the festival’s opening press conference.

Also at Venice Film Festival, Todd Philips’ Joker won the top prize, sparking more Oscars buzz for the origin story about Batman’s arch-enemy The Joker (Joaquin Phoenix).