London film critics issue split decision on doc achievements

They name Amy best documentary, but The Look of Silence earns a rare honor

The London Film Critics Circle spread its honors between a couple of highly-decorated docs at its awards show on Sunday.

Asif Kapadia's Amy, about the late British singer Amy Winehouse, was named Documentary of the Year over a field that featured The Look of Silence, Alex Gibney's Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Palio, and A Syrian Love Story.

But The Look of Silence did not leave the ceremony empty-handed. The documentary directed by Joshua Oppenheimer was awarded Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. All of the other nominees in the category were narrative films.

Amy and The Look of Silence were both nominated for Academy Awards on Thursday, along with Cartel Land, What Happened, Miss Simone? and Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom.