Cannes 2013: the Palme d’Or goes to Blue is the Warmest Colour

by Domenico La Porta

26/05/2013 - The French film directed by Abdellatif Kechiche wins the supreme award while the Grand Prix goes to the Coen brothers and the Jury Prize rewards a Japanese film

At the end of the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday night, the screening of a very good film by Polanski opened up the field of possibilities even further for a winners’ list made even more complicated by the very high standards of the selection. It did not however change the distribution of prizes in Cannes.

The Palme d’Or was attributed to Abdellatif Kechiche and his two actresses, Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos, called onto the stage as his equals to underline their importance in Blue is the Warmest Colour [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Abdellatif Kechiche
film profile], which received the prize from the hands of Steven Spielberg, President of the Jury, which was as prestigious as it was diversified in its influences. A jury "in perfect harmony", according to the words of actor and member of the jury Christoph Waltz on the red carpet, which decided to award its own Jury Prize to Like Father, Like Son by Japanese director Kore-Eda Hirokazu.

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The Grand Prix was awarded to Inside Llewyn Davis by American brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, absent from the ceremony, which might signal a last-minute decision that did not give the winners enough time to return from New York.

Mexican filmmaker Amat Escalante won the Best Director Award for Heli [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], a coproduction between Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

Another director from Asia was also honoured, Jia Zhangke, who won the Best Screenplay Award for A Touch of Sin, which was the third experience of this Chinese director in competition but who has never been rewarded in Cannes. This is good news for the French company Mk2, the film’s international vendor.

Just as for the Palme d'Or, rumours in Cannes had not predicted the two Acting prizes. It was thus a moderate surprise for the Best Actor Award, which went to the 72 year-old American actor, Bruce Dern (father of actress Laura Dern), for his moving role in Nebraska directed by his compatriot Alexander Payne. French actress Bérénice Bejo caused great emotion as winner of the Best Actress Award for her role in The Past [+see also:
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trailer
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Finally, the Caméra d´Or Jury presided by Agnès Varda presented its award to Ilo ilo, a first film by Singapore director Anthony Chen.

As often, some films were unjustly forgotten and the Cineuropa team would like to point out in particular two important European films: The Great Beauty [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paolo Sorrentino
film profile] by Italian director Paolo Sorrentino and Venus in Fur [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Roman Polanski
film profile] by Roman Polanski which both deserved a place on the winners’ list, which this year did not include any Special Mentions for feature films.