By Cannes International Film Festival & M&C Movie News May 28, 2007, 0:01 GMT
After 11 days of film, parties and posing for the camera, the 60th edition of the famed Cannes International Film Festival has come to a close.
Israeli directors Shira Geffen (R) and Etgar Keret hold the Camera D'Or prize for their film 'Meduzot' during a photocall at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, 27 May 2007, in Cannes, France. EPA/DANIEL DEME
Awards were handed out May 27, a gallery of award winners can be found to the right while their comments to the press can be found below.
Jane Fonda awarded the Palme d'Or of this 60th Cannes Festival to Cristian Mungiu for 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days.
During the closing Ceremony, Cristian Mungui declared: “It seems like a fairy tale. One year ago we didn’t have any idea about this project and some six months ago, we didn’t have any money to make it and finally, we were just hoping to be in Cannes in any kind of competition. So I just want to thank very much the Jury and I want to thank very much the people from the Festival for allowing us into Competition to start with, because it really made all the difference for us. The kind of attention that we got here all along the Festival, this story that we believe in so much, is going to reach lots of people now. I also hope that this award that I’m getting now is going to be of good use for small filmmakers in small countries everywhere, because it looks like you don’t necessarily need a big budget and a lot of stars to have your story heard.”
Jury President Stephen Frears bestowed a 60th Anniversary Prize Prix to Gus Van Sant for Paranoid Park.
Gus Van Sant accepted this Anniversary Award and expressed his appreciation: "Thanks Stephen and thanks to the Jury and thanks to the family Karmitz for backing this film. It had very humble beginnings and for the short film as well. Thanks to my producers. Of course thanks to Gilles Jacob and Thierry Frémaux for this Festival; it’s been a really good one this year. Thanks to Chris Doyle and Rain Li for the cinematography and Blake Nelson for writing the original book that it’s from and all the others who helped make it. Thank you.”
Grand Prize: Naomi Kawase for "The Mourning Forest"
The Grand Prize was awarded by Carole Bouquet to Naomi Kawase for The Mourning Forest.
Naomi Kawase had these words to say: "It's wonderful to have been able to make films and to continue making them. I'm happy. It's very difficult to make a film. I think it's as difficult as living; it is similar to live. In a life, you also encounter many difficulties, many things that make you suffer; there are many things that make you hesitate or stumble on your path. At those moments, I believe, you look for something deep within that can restore your confidence and strength. You try to find strengths – and I don't mean money, cars, or clothing – it's not necessarily something visible. It can be the wind, the light, the memory of the Ancients which gives us their strength. And when you find that foothold in the world, you can be all alone and go on. Thank you for appreciating my film, for recognizing what I wanted to say with it. Thank you very much! This is a wonderful world.
Awarded by Charlotte Rampling, the Best Screenplay went to Fatih Akin for The Edge of Heaven.
Fatih Akin: “Thank you much, the Jury. I have to write a new scenario and that will inspire me a lot. I want to thank all the people who have worked on the film, everybody, whole crew. I want to thank my wife. I have one message for Turkey. All is one, united we stand, divided we fall.”
During the press conference for the winners, Fatih Akin proudly declared: “I am so proud to bring this award to Hamburg and celebrate
The prize for Best Director was awarded by Michelle Yeoh to Julian Schnabel for Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly).
Julian Schnabel expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, I’d like to thank Mathieu Amalric. As I came up, I wanted to start singing ‘Thank goodness for little girls, they grow up…’ and I did, because I thought I was making a movie about a paralyzed guy but I realized I was making a film about women. I want to thank Max Von Sydow, Niels Arestrup, Patrick Chesnais and all the French actors that were ‘chaleureux avec moi’; Many times I’ve heard that the problem with France is the French, but that’s a lie. I have to thank Jerome Seydoux, who has been the most congenial distributor I’ve ever met in my life, and his family. And I have to say to my sons and daughters. If I did get the palme d’Or, I was going to give it to Bernado Bertolucci. It doesn’t matter if I didn’t get it. Thank all of you for your generosity, Gilles Jacob and Thierry. In my wildest dreams I would never believe I was here because I’m just a movie fan, I never thought I’d be a movie director, but I was crazy about the hit. Thank you and see you around."
Julian Schnabel addressed the press about winning the Best Director Award: “It would be exactly the same if I won the Palme d’Or. I was doing it spontaneously. I don’t really see the difference. I didn’t make this movie to get a prize. I’m very happy that everyone included me in this club. There are a lot of people who have walked up these stairs and shown their movies here. So for me it’s a great honor to be included.”
Best Leading Actor: Konstantin Lavronenko in "The Banishment"
The prize for Best Leading Actor was awarded to Konstantin Lavronenko for his performance in The Banishment by Andreï Zyvagintsev.
Andreï Zvyagintsev addressed the audience: "Good evening. I'm more than delighted for Konstantin. He deserved this prize. Thank you to the Jury. Thank you to the Festival management. Thank you, audience. I am happy."
Speaking of his actor Konstantin Lavronenko at the laureates' press conference, Banishment director Andreï Zvyagintsev added: "You probably already know him, because he was the leading man in my earlier film, The Return. He made his film debut at the age of 42. Before that, Konstantin was a stage actor. He had studied at the School of Popular Theater in Moscow. Then, one day, he realized that he had devoted his whole life to the stage, and only the stage. He started acting for film in a studio that was a pretty unofficial, "underground" affair. The first time I saw him was in 1992; then, there was nothing. It was almost a miracle ten years later when I began preparing to make my film and I remembered him. In my opinion, he's a wonderful actor, because he has this ability to remain on camera, simply waiting, with composure. He pauses for a certain amount of time, and then utters the two or three words I ask him to say. Personally, I feel that an actor who can do without deliberately performing emotion and concentrate on his innermost self is extremely courageous."
Best Leading Actress: Jeon Do-yeon in "Secret Sunshine"
The prize for Best Leading Actress was awarded by Alain Delon to South Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon for her performance in Secret Sunshine de Lee Chang-dong.
Jeon Do-yeon overjoyed: "Good evening. I can't believe I'm up here. I heard that there were bevies of wonderful actresses during the Festival; I hope that I might be able to represent them today. I am truly honored, in any case, to have this Prize; I don't know how to receive it... Of course, I want to thank the Cannes Festival and the members of the Jury. I thank director Lee Chang-dong, who gave me the opportunity to play this role, and especially the actor Song Kang-ho, thanks to whom I was able to exist. I thank all of you who appreciated this film Secret Sunshine. I will never forget it, for the rest of my life. Thank you very much!"
At the laureates' press conference, Jeon Do-yeon added this about her award: "It's the first time I've come to a foreign festival. I was very honored to be invited to a festival as big as Cannes. Naturally, I'm delighted to have received this Best Actress award. Before the ceremony, I was really tense; I did all I could to relax, saying to myself that nothing would happen. The people around me wouldn't stop talking to me about it, and I realy felt like hiding. I'd like to thank you all."
Jury Prize: "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi and to "Silent Light" by Carlos Reygadas
The Jury Prize, a tie, was awarded by Jamel Debbouze to Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and to Silent Light by Carlos Reygadas.
Marjane Satrapi, once on stage, said: "I'll speak for both directors. We want to express our thanks Gilles Jacob and Thierry Frémaux for having selected our film. We thank the Jury for having awarded the Prize to us. We thank the whole crew of ninety people who worked with us for two years. Personally, although this film is universal, I wish to dedicate the prize to all Iranians."
Carlos Reygadas said: "Good evening. Thank you to Jaime, Natalia, Jean Labadie, the Festival, and the jurors."
At the laureates' press conference, Carlos Reygadas took the microphone to add the following: "It's a very important prize, because it helps us blaze a trail for other Mexican filmmakers and, even more, for filmmakers all over the world who are interested in a cinema which sometimes departs from the laws of total identification and clarification, a cinema that likes temporary ambiguity, that likes expression using means that are not always the customary ones (…) I feel very comfortable. I didn't expect everyone to be extremely well-disposed towards the film, especially after three screenings the same day. But the reality is that many people loved it. I find that incredibly touching. (…) I think powerful films are not for everyone. (...) I wasn't expecting any particular prize. I was ready to win everything, or win nothing. It's a very special prize, which doesn't really indicate whether the screenplay or the acting is the main subject of the award. It's a global prize.
Palme d'Or, Best Short Film: "Ver Llover" (Watching it Rain) by Elisa Miller
Awarded by the Cinéfondation-Short Film Jury presided by Jia Zhangke along with actress Marina Hands, the Palme d'Or for Best Short film was awarded to Ver Llover (Watching it Rain) by Elisa Miller.
Elisa Miller: "Thank you very much! Gracias! I'm very, very happy. I thank the Festival. It was incredibl to be here. I thank Mexico. Thank you!"
Two special mentions went to Ah Ma (Grandma) by Anthony Chen and Run by Mark Albiston.
Camera d'Or: "Meduzot" (Jellyfish) by Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen
Director Pavel Lounguine, president of the short film Jury and Clotilde Courau, member of the Jury, awarded the Camera d'Or to Meduzot (Jellyfish) by Edgar Keret and Shira Geffen, presented in the Critics' Week selection. A special mention went to Control by Anton Corbijn, presented in the Directors' Fortnight section.
Edgar Keret and Shira Geffen came on stage and declared:
Etgar Keret: “Actually, they told us to write down everything, but it’s too exciting to read it. Everything here is so far from our lives. I haven’t worn a suit since my Bar Mitzvah. Thank you very much. My strong wife."
Shira Geffen: “We would like to thank all the people that made this film possible, and especially our producers.”
Etgar Keret: ”We also want to thank the great actors and the wonderful editors and an amazing cinematographer.”
Shira Geffen: “And of course, La Semaine de la Critique and our legendary agent.”
The Marché du Film, held from May 17 to 26 within the framework of the Cannes Festival's 60th-anniversary celebrations, was a great success. A large turnout and an offer of thousands of films kept the market bustling and business booming for all of the participants.
This year, credentials were provided to 10,491 professionals. They came from 92 countries. Emerging film markets were noted in Africa and Asia. This number represents an overall rise of 4% over last year.
Latin American participation also continues to grow (+28%). Chile, in particular, brought a delegation of 33 professionals, as compared to 14 in 2006. Likewise, the Asian market continued to thrive this year, in particular with China and its 114 professionals (as compared to 82 in 2006). The United States and United Kingdom both increased their participation by 7%, i.e. 3 percentage points over the average.
4,082 companies registered with the Film Market, an increase over the figure of 3,797 for 2006. Production, distribution, and international sales are the principal businesses represented. 5,157 titles were offered (against 4,569 in 2006), 2,250 of which are in development or in production. This confirms a trend towards presenting projects still in preparation, well upstream of completion, at the Film Market. These films came chiefly from Europe (45%), the US (30%), Asia (12%), and Latin America (6%).
1,565 screenings of 889 films took place in Market screening rooms: 551 of them were world premieres. The ongoing growth of the Market over the past several years has made it necessary to set aside additional space for it, and it now covers a total area of about 150,000 square feet.
Other Prizes
Alongside the Official Competition trophies, other prizes were awarded to the films presented during this Festival. Here is the list:
- At Directors' Fortnight, Control by Dutch filmmaker Anton Corbijn received the Prix Regards Jeunes (Young Eyes Prize), awarded to a first or second feature-length film, as well as the Label Europa Cinéma Prize, intended for the best European film of the Fortnight. Garage by Ireland's Lenny Abrahamson was the winner of the Prix Art et Essai, which gave honorable mention to the aforementioned Control and to Gegenüber (Counterparts) by Jan Bonny, of Germany. Note that the SACD Prize for Best Short Film in French was awarded to Même pas Mort by Claudine Natkin.
- The International Critics' Week Grand Prize, intended as a groundbreaking prize whereby the film press rewards rising new talents, was awarded to XXY by Lucia Puenzo of Argentina. The SACD French Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers, a collective managing authors' rights, bestowed its honors upon Meduzot by Israeli filmmakers Etgar Keret Shira Geffen. The Canal + Grand Prize for the Best Short Film went to Madame Tutli-Putli by Canadians Chris Lavis and Maciek Sczerbowski.
- The Jury of the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) awarded the International Critics Prize to 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days by Romanian Cristian Mungiu, presented in the Official Competition. Honorable mention was awarded to The Band's Visit by Eran Kolirin, from the Un Certain Regard section. Lastly, in the sidebar programs Critics' Week and Directors' Fortnight, the FIPRESCI singled out Elle s'appelle Sabine, the first film directed by French actress Sandrine Bonnaire, about her autistic sister.
- The Ecumenical Jury Prize was awarded to The Edge of Heaven by Fatih Akin, presented in Competition. The Jury mentioned: "This film skillfully tells the story of the intersecting destinies in Germany and Turkey of men and women from different backgrounds. It makes the viewer aware of the pain and complexity of the loss of cultural identity and relationships, as well as the valuable cultural exchanges, transitions, and cohabitations possible between these two worlds. Two other major themes are parent-child relationships, sacrifice, and reconciliation."
Established in 1974, the Ecumenical Jury designates works of artistic quality, film testimonials to the depth of human feeling and its mystery, through human preoccupations, hopes, and despairs.
- The 26th Youth Prize was awarded to The Band's Visit by Eran Kolirin, presented in Un Certain Regard. This reward, created in 1982 by the French Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Organizations, enables a jury of young film-lovers to give their verdict about the films presented in Competition and in the Un Certain Regard section.
- The French National Education Administration Prize, which singles out films for their usefulness as learning resources, was awarded to 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days by Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu. The jurors are teachers and other members of the community of educators, as well as people from the film world. Actress Bernadette Laffont was the president of this year's jury. The winning film will be issued as a teaching DVD which will facilitate approach to it and elicit analysis and debate in the classroom.
- The Prix France-Culture is awarded yearly by French national public radio during the Cannes Festival to a filmmaker for career achievement. The 2007 prize went to Cambodian Rithy Panh "for the intensity of his work and his commitment to the presentation of Cambodia's cinematographic memory." Charlotte Rampling was president of the jury.
An Exceptional Palme d'Or to Jane Fonda
The President of the Cannes Festival, Gilles Jacob, bestowed a special Golden Palm on American actress Jane Fonda during a dinner at the Carlton Hotel, paying tribute to her career and her commitment. This makes the fourth career achievement Palme d’Or awarded to an actor or filmmaker in the history of the Festival. The three others went to French directors Alain Resnais and Gerard Oury as well as French actress Jeanne Moreau. Mr. Jacob ironically remarked: “I would never have imagined that the Cannes Festival would honor an FBI suspect, one who has at least 20,000 pages in her file,” in allusion to all her active participation against the war in Vietnam and more recently against the war in Iraq. He continued, “You are a fighter and a winner.” Jane Fonda was obviously overwhelmed by this exceptional award.
Out of Competition: "Triangle" by Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark, and Johnnie To
Screened out of competition in this 60th festival, Triangle is the result of a first-time collaboration between Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, and Johnnie To, supreme masters of Asian cinema. Each of them directed a segment of the film, based on an action-packed and electrifying adventure quest they imagined as a team. It involves the characters Sam, Fai, and Mok, three penniless pals, a gang of thugs, and a ceremonial robe embroidered with gold threads, the object of everyone's desire. The three buddies must choose between survival, greed, and friendship…
Speaking of how they approached this unusual film, Tsui Hark explained: "Our serial contains three parts. Together, they would make up one cohesive story. We agreed not to intervene with each other’s creative ideas or narratives. Each director had absolute control over what he wanted to do, and hopefully our joint efforts would result in an exciting and entertaining film. (…) I chose a theme people could relate to: the power of money.”
Johnnie To added: "For my part of the film, my interest lay mainly in the following dilemma: What price do you pay for your desire and obsession? In the story, we see the three main characters tangled up in one dangerous situation after another. All this for the promise of a better life."
Last, Ringo Lam told of his own intentions for this exercise in style: “Triangle is a story that depicts how fate tests our heroes. I’m particularly interested in Sam’s character’s obsession with his wife. She is a woman who is capable of showing love and hate at the same time. She embodies the qualities of both good and evil. (…) His story is very much a metaphor of my attitude towards filmmaking: It is always a love-hate process.”
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