By ANP··Amended:
RTL
With an emotional speech, Halina Reijn accepted Nicole Kidman’s award during the Venice Film Festival. Kidman received the award for best actress in the film Babygirl, directed by Reijn. Kidman had left the Italian city in a hurry on Saturday morning because her mother had died.
Reijn received a big applause when she came on stage and introduced herself as the director of Babygirl. She asked the audience to be quiet and read Kidman’s statement in which the actress explained why she could not collect the award herself. “I am in shock and have to go back to my family,” Kidman told the audience through Reijn.
Kidman also wrote that she was shocked and that her “heart is broken”. The Australian dedicated the award to her mother. “She shaped me, she guided me and she made me”, said Kidman.
After the award ceremony, Reijn told ANP that he was “very sad that Nicole lost her mother just before she was to receive the award today”. The director also said that he was “incredibly proud”. “And grateful that I could read the statement for her.”
