Omar Sy Makes History: 1st Black Actor To Win César Award For Best Actor (French Equivalent Of Oscars)

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• sonohrina | April 5, 2012 1:56 AMReply

  Omar Sy is a beautiful actor and is a beautiful boy!!! =)

• Simone | February 25, 2012 12:59 AMReply

  Omar Sy, Untouchable is the first black actor to receive a nomination for best actor, and he won without have received any other nomination since he plays, in France you have those categories best male rising talent, best woman rising talent who don't exist in the Oscars, a few year a Aissa Maiga has got a nomination for best woman rising talent for the movie Bamako, but Omar Sy is not the black who has won a Cesar award. The first black to win a Cesar is miss Euzhan Palcy who won the Cesar award in 1984 for the best first movie call Rue Case Nègre, in english “Sugar Cane Alley” (this category is not exist in Oscars) Cesar refuse to give nomination for the cast member, i remember the movie won big at the Mostra of Venice in 1983 with the silver lion for the movie and the best female actress for Darling Légitimus who played lead role of M’man Tine(the grandmother of José), she died in 1999 and she wasn't mentioned and remember by Cesar in people who has lost. It's black actors and actress movement call freedom (who fight for more black actors and actress in French film) without invitation in the ceremony who salute her work and remember her. The black actor who receive a cesar is Will Smith in honor of in his entire career (for all movies he has done) I'm not saying it is not a good for Omar, but cinema is still segregated in France you have a lack of representation of black actors and actress in the movie and in the media, French producer explain that people isn't ready to see many black people in the movie, one maybe, two no, is too much. I hope a change gonna come, wait and see, just all over the world is very very difficult to be black, every black has the same problem we must join our force to fight, Thank you Mrs Tambay for everything you're doing to make black cinema shine, we need you and need every people to support black movie.

• CT | February 25, 2012 10:27 AM

  Thank you for the education Simone, we are with you in this struggle against the status quo. We ae based in UK, where it is juts slightly better so if you need support please contact me at screennation @ yahoo.co.uk

• Rodney | February 25, 2012 12:08 AMReply

  Didn't Isaach DeBankole win this award before?

• simone | February 25, 2012 12:21 PM

  Isaac De Bankolé won a Cesar best rising talent in 1987 for a movie call Black Mic Mac, (Oscars don't have this category) he didn't have many roles in French cinema, he's become an international actor and French movie producer forgot him. He live in the USA and he the husband of the Singer Cassandra Wilson. He's from Ivory Coast. Rodney you're have reason.

• Yvon | February 25, 2012 12:17 PM

  Issaac de Bankole won the Cesar Award for best newcomer in 1987.
  Euzhan Palcy won the Cesar Award for best first film in 1984 and then 17 international awards including four at Venice International Film Festival including the Silver Lion and Best actress awards (for Darling Legitimus). It impressed Robert Redford enough to bring a reluctant Palcy in the US as Warner Bros was beggging her to come. The Sundance's founder famously became her Godfather. Then she brought Marlon Brando back to the screen after a gap of 9 years, the legend was si adamant to make his comeback with her that he proposed to play for her free but had to agree to be paid at union scale. Palcy became the first black female director produced by major Hollywood studio and won the Orwon Welles Awards.
  
  Six years before "Sugar Cane Alley" had not even been watched by Cannes staff. A film with such a title with an entire black cast speaking creole coming out of a former french coloniy were we can not even imagine they can hold a camera based on a novel that was blacklisted and made by a black woman was not even worthy of being been tested. But in 2010, 27 years after “Sugar Cane Alley “ was selected for the third time by the French National Educational Organization (the organization that chooses the films from all over the world to be studied in French schools) then breaking the record of any films participating to the system in the history of the organization. The statistics say than more 14 millions people saw the film in theaters. Think now about Darling Legitimus, the grand mother in "Sugar Cane Alley". She won the Best Actress award at Venice Internationa film Festival in 1983. The stats show that only five French actress won it since 1932 (Since the world oldest film festival's birth) and you know what ? Darling Legitimus had not even been nominated for the Cesar award in 1984. and dont tell me it is greatest star did not make it : Bette Davis, Kathrin Hepburn, Olivia de Havilland won it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volpi_Cup
  Legitimus award for Sugar Cane Alley happened after a 15 years hiatus of the festival's award (the comeback on the world stage).
  So please don't forget ever what the pioneers did. Give people a chance. Good films are just Good. They are moving us.

• Kal | February 24, 2012 9:06 PMReply

  Congratulations to Mr Sy. I watched Intouchables. What a performance! Great to see France reward the great performance of a black actor in a category that also included a white actor (Jean Dujardin) who's been cleaning out awards this season. Where are all the posters? There should be more reactions to this historical win.

• Simone | February 25, 2012 6:23 PM

  Thank you Yvon for this beautiful comment.