The drama “Quo Vadis, Aida?” Has been named the best European film of the year.

Director Jasmila Žbanić tells of the massacre in Srebrenica.

The European Film Academy announced the decision on Saturday evening in Berlin.

The film also received awards for best director and best actress.

The film tells of a woman who works as a translator in the UN protection zone Srebrenica during the Bosnian war.

She is fighting to save her husband and sons.

Serbian units overran the UN protection zone in 1995 and subsequently murdered more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys.

The European Film Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the industry.

The more than 4,000 academy members voted on many award winners, similar to the Oscars in the USA.

The awards are then usually given alternately in Berlin and another European city.

Anthony Hopkins named Best Actor

Because of the pandemic, a major award ceremony was canceled again.

Instead, there was a live link with a few guests from Berlin.

Director Žbanić thanked them in a video slot and dedicated the film to the women of Srebrenica.

The German actor Franz Rogowski ("Great Freedom") was also nominated, but came away empty-handed.

Instead, Anthony Hopkins was named Best Actor for his role in the dementia drama "The Father".

“Herr Bachmann und seine Klasse” by the German director Maria Speth was in the running for the best documentary film, but the award went to the animated film “Flee”.

A total of five titles were nominated for the best feature film.

In addition to “Quo Vadis, Aida?” And “The Father”, these were the horror fantasy film “Titane”, the film “Compartment No. 6” about a train journey and “The Hand of God” by Paolo Sorrentino via Naples in the 1980s.

The Danish director Susanne Bier ("In a Better World", "The Undoing") was honored for European merits in the film scene.

The honorary award for life's work went to the Hungarian director Márta Mészáros.

Filmmaker Steve McQueen ("12 Years a Slave") was recognized for innovative storytelling for his "Small Ax" series.

Best comedy was “Ninjababy” from Norway.

Last year, the tragic comedy “Der Rausch” by Thomas Vinterberg was recognized as the best European feature film.

Several men throughout the story test the limits of alcohol.

The German actress Paula Beer won an award for best actress - for her role as the mysterious Undine in Christian Petzold's film of the same name.