The 76th Cannes Film Festival concluded with a grand flourish on Saturday, May 27th. Justine Triet made history as the third female director to clinch the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes, for her riveting film Anatomy of a Fall. She thus joins an illustrious lineage of winners that includes Jane Campion, recognized for The Piano in 1993, and Julia Ducournau, who took the honors for Titane in 2021.
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At the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, French director Justine Triet won the top prize for her compelling and unnerving drama, led by the masterful performance of Sandra Hueller. Anatomy of a Fall, a tense legal thriller about a writer implicated in her husband’s murder, was one of several female-centric films that stole the spotlight this year. Triet’s tour de force, which also showcased an impressive performance by Messi, the Border Collie that clinched the coveted Palm Dog award a day prior, capped off an outstanding year for women directors.
As the gaze of the global cinema community descended upon the festival’s jury, tasked with deciding the winner in a closely contested race for the prestigious Palme d’Or, the gala wrapped up on a high note. Last year’s laureate Ruben Östlund, renowned for Triangle of Sadness, spearheaded the nine-member jury comprising film industry veterans. Seven women directors featured prominently among the 21 entries in the main competition, reflecting a tectonic shift in the historically male-dominated industry.
Photo credit : Christophe Simon / AFP
The closing ceremony began on a poignant note, resonating with the soulful voice and rhythm of the late Tina Turner, paying tribute to the eternal star who had tragically passed away a few days prior. Attendees from various film crews, all contenders for the top honors, were invited back for the concluding ceremony, providing an early hint of possible victors. Hollywood legends Jane Fonda and Quentin Tarantino graced the red carpet, ready to present the top prizes.
Cannes Film Festival’s illustrious roster of competitors featured a number of films with intricate female characters. Hueller also starred in The Zone of Interest, one of the competition’s most controversial films directed by British auteur Jonathan Glazer. The film, which offered an intriguing perspective on the private life of a Nazi family at Auschwitz concentration camp, clinched the runner-up Grand Prix.
Best Director was awarded to Tran Anh Hung, a Vietnamese-French filmmaker, for The Pot-au-Feu, an exquisite tribute to French cuisine that received international acclaim but failed to impress local critics. He extended his gratitude to his leading actress Juliette Binoche, lauding her as “quite extraordinary in the film.”
The Best Actor accolade was claimed by Japan’s Koji Yakusho for Perfect Days. He expressed his gratitude to his German director Wim Wenders for crafting a “magnificent character” in his poignant story about a Tokyo toilet cleaner with a convoluted past.
In a surprising turn of events, Turkey’s Merve Dizdar nabbed the Best Actress award for About Dry Grasses, the latest work from previous Palme-winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Reflecting on her character, she noted, “She is someone who is fighting for her life and she has overcome a lot of difficulties. Living in a part of the country that helped me fully understand who she is.”
Photo credit : Christophe Simon / AFP
In an apt reflection of the strides women have made in the industry, Jane Fonda, presenting the Palme d’Or, recollected her first Cannes experience in 1963. “There were no women directors competing at that time, and it never even occurred to us that there was something wrong with that,” she reminisced, before adding, “We have come a long way.”
The third-place Jury Prize was bestowed upon Aki Kaurismaki for his endearing, laconic, and distinctly Finnish film, Fallen Leaves, which elicited resounding applause from festival attendees. The esteemed director was absent, but his actors relayed his heartfelt message expressing his profound honor.
Another highlight was the insightful exploration of assault and consent among inebriated British tourists in How to Have Sex, which clinched the Un Certain Regard award for emerging talents on Friday, May 26th.
The 76th installment of the world’s premier cinematic rendezvous was particularly star-studded, punctuated by the global debuts of the latest Indiana Jones movie and a new film by Martin Scorsese, both screened outside the competition. Jonathan Glazer received his award from Quentin Tarantino and nonagenarian cult director Roger Corman. Corman’s appearance was fitting, as the festival at times felt like an enchanted retirement abode brimming with aging male titans from Hollywood. Harrison Ford, at 80, was visibly moved as he accepted an honorary Palme d’Or ahead of the premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Martin Scorsese, also 80, was content to stay out of the competitive fray with his Native American saga Killers of the Flower Moon, humorously telling, It’s time for others. I got to go. There are kids around.
European maestros Ken Loach, 86, Marco Bellocchio, 83, and Victor Erice, 82, all debuted new films at the festival. Loach showcased his undiminished vigor with the final competition entry, The Old Oak, a touching tribute to working-class unity. The director has an impressive record with no less than 15 films competing at the Cannes Film Festival over the years.
Since the inception of the Palme d’Or in 1955, the accolade has replaced the earlier practice of awarding winners a diploma. The 76th Cannes Film Festival will indelibly etch itself into the collective memory of cinema enthusiasts. As a closing spectacle, Pixar’s Elementary was screened, drawing the curtain on the most anticipated film festival of the year.
Marie-Christine Tayah with AFP
Instagram: @mariechristine. tayah
