At the San Sebastián Festival, the Catalan actor accepted the recognition with emotion and, by placing a Palestinian scarf over his shoulders, denounced “the barbarity being committed in Gaza”, reminding us of culture’s responsibility in the face of injustice.
By Jorge Alonso Curiel
HoyLunes – As is tradition, within the framework of the San Sebastián Film Festival, on the morning of Saturday, September 20, at the Tabakalera building in the Basque capital, Catalan actor Eduard Fernández (Barcelona, 1964) received the 2025 National Cinematography Award from the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun.
The award, which also includes €30,000, was granted to him for his work in the previous year on “El 47” and “Marco“, the latter film sweeping awards, including the Medal of the Circle of Film Writers (CEC) and the Goya for Best Leading Actor.
Before he took the stage, filmmakers who have worked with him—Mar Coll (Three Days with the Family), Jon Garaño (who directed him in “Marco” alongside Aitor Arregui), and Álex de la Iglesia (in the series 30 Coins)—praised the actor’s work ethic, talent, and camaraderie. The Minister also highlighted his great humanity and his meaningful engagement with just causes.
Moments later, after receiving the award, the actor draped a Palestinian scarf over his shoulders. After recalling family members and nostalgically evoking the 17-year-old boy he once was—who found “a refuge” on stage to be himself, in the place paradoxically “most exposed”—he did not miss the opportunity to condemn the genocide in Gaza and the killing of children in the Strip by the Israeli state: “They want to kill them all”, he declared.
“Gaza is a mirror in which we all appear, whether we like it or not”, he said. He also reminded the audience of the responsibility of cultural figures to denounce injustice, “because we are a reflection of our century”.
To close his speech, he read out several names of Gazan children who had been killed, before receiving a standing ovation from the public.
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