Isabelle Huppert Wins Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead

Isabelle Huppert won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead on Saturday, for her performance in Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle.” The award was Huppert’s first Independent Spirit nomination and win.

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In “Elle,” a dramatic thriller that begins with a brutal rape, Huppert plays a successful businesswoman seeking revenge upon the unknown man who raped her.

“Independence — That’s a great idea. Good cinema is always independent,” Huppert said after receiving her award. “I want to thank Paul Verhoeven for being so independent, so fearless…I made so many independent films myself everywhere in the world and I think that it’s independence that makes art win. Thank you so much.”

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Huppert’s fellow nominees were Annette Bening for “20th Century Women,” Sasha Lane for “American Honey,” Ruth Negga for “Loving” and Natalie Portman for “Jackie.”

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