Dutch film director Paul Verhoeven said he was ‘amazed’ as his latest film, Elle, picked up two prizes at the Golden Globes awards.

The French-German co-production was named as Best Foreign Film, while French actress Isabelle Huppert won the Best Actress award. Huppert plays a successful businesswoman who seeks revenge on a man who rapes her.

Accepting the foreign film award from Hollywood’s Foreign Press Association, Verhoeven said: ‘I’m a bit amazed because the movie does not really invite you to sympathise with the character. The character goes in directions that you might not take, so I really thank the Hollywood press for being so open-minded.’

Elle was France’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at this year’s Oscars, but was eliminated in an early judging round.