“Mustang” took home the top prizes at France’s Lumiere Awards, held Monday night in Paris.

Deniz Gamze Erguven’s powerful coming-of-age story was named Best Picture and Best First Feature Film. The film’s cinematographer, David Chizallet, was also recognized.

The talent in front of the camera in “Mustang” was acknowledged as well: The five young actresses who play sisters in the drama, which is set in Turkey, were awarded the “Revelation Prize,” a celebration of new, promising talent. Only one of the stars had acting experience prior to filming “Mustang.”

“It’s both meaningful and symbolic to be receiving these prizes from the foreign press at a time when journalists are put in jail there,” said Charles Gillibert, the producer behind the film. “Women and journalists are being oppressed in Turkey, and civic liberties are under threat. It was very courageous of Deniz to make this film in Turkey considering the current political turmoil.”

In addition to her helming duties, Erguven co-wrote the script with Alice Winocour (“Disorder”).

We’ve been raving about “Mustang” since it premiered at Cannes last year. Since then, it’s been nominated for a Golden Globe, and is among the competitors for this month’s Cesar Awards and the Academy Awards.

“Through art history and through cinema, we are used to looking at the world through the eyes of men,” Erguven told Women and Hollywood. “Femininity is really pioneer land. The ambition of the film is generating empathy with the characters of the film and opening a few doors into this new territory. It was important to me for people to feel with these characters as much as they would think about them.”

You can catch the must-see film in theaters now.

[via Variety and The Hollywood Reporter]