MOSCOW, October 19 (RIA Novosti) - "Leviathan," a drama film by Andrey Zvyagintsev about life in a Russian town, has netted the prize for the best film at the 58th London film festival awards.
"So it was to be the monumental Leviathan's night as Best Film," the Festival live blog said Saturday.
Miroslav Slaboshpytskiy's "The Tribe" took the First Feature award, while "Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait," was named best documentary. "Silvered Water" is a film about the brutality of the Syrian war, directed by Ossama Mohammed and Wiam Simav Bedirxan.
Renowned film producer Jeremy Thomas, who presided over the competition jury and announced Leviathan's win, said all jurors were unanimous as to who should get the ultimate prize.
"There was one film that we were unanimous in wanting to award Best Film, Leviathan directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev. Its grandeur and themes moved all of us in the same way," the veteran film maker said.
This is the fourth Zvyagintsev work to be awarded a prestigious film prize. His "The Return" won two Golden Lions at the Venice Film Festival, "The Banishment" got the Best Actor award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, while "Elena" was given the Special Jury Prize at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
