The Palme d’Or for Jacques Audiard and the Grand Prix for Son of Saul
by Cineuropa
- CANNES 2015: Dheepan towers above the rest on the Croisette, winning out over the films by László Nemes and Yorgos Lanthimos, which each go home with a prestigious trophy
The 68th edition of the Cannes Film Festival drew to a close tonight by unveiling its awards list, which bestowed a surprise Palme d’Or upon Jacques Audiard for Dheepan [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Jacques Audiard
film profile] (read the review). "I would like to thank Michael Haneke for not making a film this year," said the French director playfully, making the most of the occasion to express his respect for the Dardenne brothers while highlighting how much of an honour it was to win this top award after he previously took home two prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, in 1996 (Best Screenplay Award for A Self Made Hero) and 2009, with A Prophet [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jacques Audiard
interview: Jacques Audiard and Tahar R…
film profile], which earned him a Grand Jury Prize when he was widely predicted to win the Palme. Six years later, the predictions had not particularly favoured his latest film, which nevertheless caught the eye of the international jury.
The winner of the Grand Prix was Hungarian director László Nemes, who, for his first time taking part in Cannes, came up with the most powerful movie of the festival: Son of Saul [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: László Nemes
interview: László Rajk
film profile] (read the review). "I tried to talk about a serious subject for my generation, which is still haunted by these events, and I wanted to shoot it on film reel because it’s important that this medium does not die out. We can still shoot and screen on film reels!"
The jury, chaired by US filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, handed its award to the brilliant and off-the-wall The Lobster [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Yorgos Lanthimos
film profile] by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos (read the review). After making a detour to Venice, Lanthimos is back at Cannes six years after he won Un Certain Regard with Dogtooth [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Yorgos Lanthimos
film profile]. This is the first time he has received an accolade in the Official Competition.
French actor Vincent Lindon snagged the Best Actor Award for The Measure of a Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile] by Stéphane Brizé (read the review). "This is the first time in my life that I’ve ever received an award," declared the veteran actor, overcome with emotion.
Rooney Mara (back from New York) and Emmanuelle Bercot (on the Croisette once again) shared the Best Actress Award ex-aequo, the former for her role in Carol [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Todd Haynes and the latter for her performance in the film by another actress-director, France’s Maïwenn (Mon Roi [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – read the review [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]). Two trophies for two roles portraying women in love.
The Best Screenplay Award also came as something of a surprise when it was handed to Mexico’s Michel Franco. The writer and director of Chronic [+see also:
trailer
film profile] admitted that the film stemmed from the time he met British actor Tim Roth at Cannes, who presented him with the Un Certain Regard Award before committing to collaborate with him on this film.
The Caméra d’Or is partly European, but predominantly Colombian, as it was bestowed upon Land and Shade [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by César Augusto Acevedo, a co-production between Colombia, France, the Netherlands, Chile and Brazil, chosen in the Critics’ Week from among the 26 debut works presented over the course of the festival.
Among the rest of the non-European award winners, we should highlight the fact that the Best Director Award was, quite rightly, given to Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien (his seventh time taking part in Cannes and a Jury Prize winner 22 years ago) for his work of art The Assassin. The Palme d’Or for Short Film went to Lebanese director Ely Dagher for his animated film Waves’98.
Palme d'Or: Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
Grand Prix: Son of Saul, László Nemes
Best Director: Hou Hsiao Hsien, The Assassin
Best Actress: Rooney Mara, Carol, and Emmanuelle Bercot, Mon roi
Best Actor: Vincent Lindon, The Measure of a Man
Best Screenplay: Chronic, Michel Franco
Jury Prize: The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos
Caméra d'Or: Land and Shade, César Augusto Acevedo
Palme d'Or for Best Short Film: Waves 98, Ely Dagher
(Translated from French)
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