LOS ANGELES (JTA) — Israel’s "Waltz with Bashir" won the Golden Globe for best foreign language film.
The victory at Sunday’s awards ceremony solidifies its front-runner status to win Israel’s first Oscar at the Academy Awards next month.
The edgy, animated film about a traumatized veteran — director Ari Folman — trying to recover his memories of the first Lebanon War beat out entries from Germany, France, Italy and Sweden.
In his brief acceptance speech, Folman dedicated his Golden Globe to the eight babies, including three of his own, born to the film’s production staff during the four years it took to complete the picture.
"I hope that when they grow up, these babies will watch this film together and will see it as an ancient video game that has nothing to do with reality," he said.
Many critics now are noting the picture’s relevance to the current fighting in the Gaza Strip.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which awards the Golden Globes, honored filmmaker Steven Spielberg with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.
Britain’s Kate Winslet took home the trophy for best supporting actress for her role as a former SS concentration camp guard in "The Reader." Winslet also won the best actress award for her portrayal of a suburban housewife in "Revolutionary Road."
Veteran director Woody Allen’s film "Vicky Christina Barcelona" garnered top honors for best musical or comedy picture.
Earlier this month, "Waltz with Bashir" was named the best picture of 2008 by The National Society of Film Critics and was named best film at the Ophir Awards, Israel’s equivalent of the Oscars.
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