PRESENTATION SPEECH
H.E. Mr. Zohrab Mnatsakanian
Ambassador of Armenia to the UN
Perhaps I will just share a secret with you. We had an opportunity to have some drinks before this dinner tonight together with Michael and said we might involve ambassadors; I thought to myself that perhaps it may be a bit risky because looking at us here, the film might turn out to be the wrong message: that we all have these glittery lives, having all these nice champagnes. But then, after what our very good friend Nick Thorn was saying about the work in Geneva and about what we’ve been engaged with, I think the film you made gives us a very strong message when we sit in our rooms and we consider all these difficult questions. These films do matter to us, these messages are very important. So thank you very much. It is a very, very well done film.
ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
Michael Winterbottom
I just wanted to say thanks very much. It is the end of the evening and I’ve had quite a lot to drink, I’m sure you’ve had quite a lot to drink. But I just wanted to say thank you, especially to Robert and Marion for organizing the awards and for everyone involved in the awards. It is quite strange to get an award from ambassadors. In someway, it is very flattering but it also makes me feel a little bit of a fraud because it is very easy to make a film. When you make a film like A Mighty Heart you go around and you get questions from journalists like, “Can this make any difference?” You sort of try and argue that bit by bit films and journalism, books, magazines can shape the way you see the world. But in truth you know that you are just commenting on it and not actually doing anything about it; however as ambassadors, you are in positions of power. I am sure your job is much more frustrating than being a film director, much more boring at times than being a film director, much more difficult than being a film director. But also you are actually doing something. So it is a real honor to get this from you. Thank you very much.