BAFTA 2024: Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' declared 'Best Film' at 77th award ceremony

LONDON: BAFTA Award for 'Best Film' was given to Christopher Nolan's directorial 'Oppenheimer'. Released in July 2023, 'Oppenheimer' based on the American theoretical physicist who spearheaded the development of the atomic bomb through the Manhattan Project during World War II. Oppenheimer, known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb.

'Oppenheimer' , which stars Cillian Murphy in the lead role, emerged as one of the biggest films of 2023, nearing the billion-dollar mark at the global box office. Interestingly, 'Oppenheimer' marked the first-ever BAFTA win for Nolan as a director.

As per Variety, in his acceptance speech, Nolan said that while his film ended on a "dramatically necessary note of despair," he wanted to spotlight the "individuals and organizations who have fought long and hard to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world."

"In accepting this I do just want to acknowledge their efforts and point out they show the necessity and potential of efforts for peace," he added. The British director also said that it was an "incredible honour to be back home, to get this from BAFTA, in the festival hall where my mum and dad used to drag me to make me have some culture. Some of it stuck.

It suddenly occurs to me my younger brother beat me up here by about 40 years not because he's ever won a BAFTA but because he was part of the snowflake chorus in the 'Nutcracker' here many years ago." He added, "I have so many people to thank for this. An incredible cast led by our peerless, fearless Cillian Murphy -- thank you Cillian, thank you to all the others, an incredible crew, many of you recognized by BAFTA with nominations tonight." In the director category, Nolan was up against Andrew Haigh for "All of Us Strangers," Justine Triet for "Anatomy of a Fall," Alexander Payne for "The Holdovers," Bradley Cooper for "Maestro" and Jonathan Glazer for "The Zone of Interest."