As we all know, “Palme d’Or” is French for Feather Button Hand of Gold Achievement. Or something. Google Translate wasn’t loading this morning.
Regardless, it’s as prestigious as awards get, although it hilariously almost never lines up with the Oscars (for good reason). Past winners include Barton Fink, Taxi Driver, MASH, The Third Man, Black Orpheus, La Dolce Vita, The Wind That Shakes the Barley and nearly one hundred other films that should be on a rental queue somewhere.
That list also includes Michael Haneke‘s The White Ribbon which took the price in 2009 and, as of yesterday, his latest film Love (Amour).
That’s 2 wins for the director in 4 competition years. It ties him for Most Palmes d’Or Ever (no director has won more than two), where he joins Alf Sjoberg (Iris and the Lieutenant, Miss Julie); Francis Ford Coppola (The Conversation, Apocalypse Now); Bille August (Pelle the Conqueror, The Best Intentions); Emir Kusturica (When Father Was Away on Business, Underground); Shohei Imamura (The Eel, The Ballad of Narayama); and The Dardenne Brothers (Rosetta, The Child). It’s a stellar achievement deserving of a long standing ovation than the one that The Paperboy got.
The full list of winners (from the festival website) is as follows:
FEATURE FILMS
Palme d’Or
AMOUR (Love) by Michael HANEKE
Grand Prix
REALITY by Matteo GARRONE
Award for Best Director
Carlos REYGADAS for POST TENEBRAS LUX
Jury Prize
THE ANGELS’ SHARE by Ken LOACH
Award for Best Actor
Mads MIKKELSEN in JAGTEN (The Hunt) by Thomas VINTERBERG
Award for Best Actress
Cristina FLUTUR & Cosmina STRATAN in DUPÃ DEALURI (Beyond The Hills) by Cristian MUNGIU
Award for Best Screenplay
Cristian MUNGIU for pour DUPÃ DEALURI (Beyond The Hills)
Palme d’Or (Short Film)
SESSIZ-BE DENG (Silent) by L. Rezan YESILBAS
CAMERA D’OR
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD by Benh ZEITLIN presented in Un Certain Regard Selection
PRIZE OF UN CERTAIN REGARD
DESPUÉS DE LUCIA by Michel FRANCO
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
LE GRAND SOIR by Benoît DELÉPINE and Gustave KERVERN
UN CERTAIN REGARD AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS
Suzanne CLÉMENT for her performance in LAURENCE ANYWAYS directed by Xavier DOLAN
UN CERTAIN REGARD AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS
Emilie DEQUENNE for her performance in À PERDRE LA RAISON directed by Joachim LAFOSSE
SPECIAL DISTINCTION OF THE JURY
DJECA by Aida BEGIC (Children of Sarajevo)
We’re wrapping up our own Cannes work (where Simon has done a smashing job (because he’s British, and that’s what they do)). Hopefully our shipment of statues will come in on time so we can give out our own, highly prestigious awards. Stay tuned.