ALEJANDRO G INARRITU: Thank you, the British Academy, for this award. It’s a true honour, especially not just being nominated with such an amazing directors. It’s truly an honour to receive this.
This award comes with a remarkable British punctuality because I wanted to celebrate, to share and to dedicate to my wife, Maria, with whom tomorrow we both together will be celebrating our 24th anniversary together. So anyway, that’s what I call heroism, endurance and a long survivor, I think.
Talking about survivors, Leo, your work, your talent, your commitment every day kept this film breathing and all of us thank you very much for that. Without you it will not be possible.
I will not be here without the work of all the crew around the world, people from all around that we worked together to make this possible in very extreme circumstances, trying to tell this human and tender story of a father with a mixed-race son, which I felt very, very close to me in the times that we are living.
I would like to give thanks to all the cast, the American cast, the Native American cast, all the people, the Native American lands that allowed us to shoot there, and I want to – now that I’m here in the UK, I want to salute to Mr Will Poulter, that is here, to Paul Anderson, to the incredible incomparable Tom Hardy, which I love – and my Irish friend that always, when I name him, I can’t – it’s worse than Inarritu for American people — Domnhall Gleeson, which is very difficult. Sorry, Domnhall.
Finally, I want to thank Arnon Milchan, and Mary Parent, Steve Golin, James Costopole, Brad West and all the people from New Regency, Fox, Rat Back. Really thank you for trusting that we could make this together very risky project.
Thank you. I’m sorry if I forgot anybody, but I love you all. Thank you very much.