Italian film La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) cleaned up at this year’s 2013 European Film Awards taking home four awards for best European editor, actor, director and best film.

Paolo Sorrentino’s film is a dizzying exploration of hollow contradictions, indifferent beauties and immoral scenes as seen through the indolent, disenchanted eyes of Jep Gambardella – all against the backdrop of a stupefyingly beautiful Rome at the height of summer.

A parade of aristocratic ladies, social climbers, politicians, high-flying criminals, journalists, actors, decadent nobles, prelates, artists and intellectuals form the objects of his perspective.

Actor Toni Servillo picked up his second trophy as best European actor (his first award came in 2008 for his role in Sorrentino’s film “il Divo”) for playing Jep Gambardella.

“I’m very happy. I had never imagined to win this prestigious award and even less to win it twice with Paolo Sorrentino.”

German filmmaker and president of the European Film Academy Wim Wenders, was on hand to announce Catherine Deneuve as the recipient of the European Film Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The legendary French star was born into a family of actors and has so far featured in over 100 films.

Swedish actress Noomi Rapace delightfully announced Pedro Almodovar as the winner of the European Achievement in World Cinema Award.

The Spanish director clinched the Best Young Film Award at the inaugural European Film Awards in 1988 for “Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown.” Since then, his films have opened all around the world to great acclaim.