It was somehow fitting that a Luxembourg co-production should win two of the major prizes at the Festival du film francophone d’Angoulême after the grand duchy’s film industry was subject of a retrospective at this year’s edition.

The festival jury, presided by Jacqueline Bisset, awarded the main prize, the Valois de diamant for best film, to “Les Hirondelles de Kaboul” (The Swallows of Kabul), directed by Zabou Breitman and Éléa Gobbé-Mévellec, and co-produced by Stephan Roelants for Melusine Productions. The same film also picked up the Valois de la musique for Alexis Rault’s score.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa was at the awards ceremony. She and Grand Duke Henri were in Angoulême for three days and as well as attending screenings had dinner with festival director, Dominique Besnehard, and Luxembourg Film Fund director Guy Daleiden. They were also interviewed for TV channel M5 about the Luxembourg film industry’s ties with the francophone world.