“Tender Loving Care” by Mike Leigh wins the Golden Shell at San Sebastián — jury honors the 83-year-old director’s “final film”

SAN SEBASTIÁN – The 74th edition of the San Sebastián International Film Festival closed on Saturday evening with a triple honor for British director Mike Leigh: his drama “Tender Loving Care” won the top prize, the Golden Shell for best film, together with the award for best screenplay and the Silver Shell for leading performance (Kate O’Flynn), as AFP reports.

Leigh, 83, could not travel to Spain due to a muscular illness (myositis) and accepted the award via a video message: “I’m sorry I can’t be with you… What a great honor. Thank you and love to you all.” The jury of this edition was chaired by American director Ira Sachs, while the film is said to be the last of Leigh’s long career.

“Tender Loving Care”, which had its world premiere at Telluride earlier this month, tells the story of two social workers in London, Amy (Kate O’Flynn) and Rosie (Alice Bailey Johnson), as Amy’s father begins to show the early signs of dementia.

Other awards of the evening: the Special Jury Prize went to “Border” by Ah Biao, the Silver Shell for best director went to Amanda Kernell (“Brace Your Heart”), while the Audience Award was won by “La Bola Negra” by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi — the same film that a week earlier also won the Audience Award in Toronto.