Funny Games director Michael Haneke’s new drama, White Ribbon, took the Palme d’Or (the Golden Palm, to you, Yank) – the grand prize – at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
White Ribbon is set in a northern village in Germany during the run-up to World War I. It “focuses on a rural school where strange accidents occur and gradually take on the character of a punishment ritual. Does the ritual punishment have an affect on the school system and is this a precursor to the rise of fascism?”
- ‘Stay out of the cornfields’
Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet, snagged the second-place spot – the Grand Prix – as the festival’s runner-up.
Sony Pictures Classics has bought the rights to both films for distribution here in the U.S.
Festival headliner, Inglourious Basterds, was awarded best actor for Christoph Waltz’s performance as a murderous Nazi while Charlotte Gainsbourg, in the controversial Antichrist, took best actress.
Take a gander at the winners:
Palme d’Or
The White Ribbon, Michael Haneke, Germany-France-Austria-Italy
Grand Prix
A Prophet, Jacques Audiard, France
Special Jury Prize
Alain Resnais, Wild Grass (France)
Director
Brillante Mendoza, Kinatay, Philippines
Jury Prize
Fish Tank, Andrea Arnold, UK
Thirst, Park Chan-wook, South Korea-U.S.
Actor
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds, U.S.-Germany
Actress
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Antichrist, Denmark-Germany-France-Sweden-Italy-Poland
Screenplay
Mei Feng, Spring Fever, Hong Kong-France
Short Films Jury Prizes
Palme d’Or
Arena, Joao Salaviza, Portugal
Special Mention
The Six Dollar Fifty Man, Mark Albiston, Louis Sutherland, New Zealand
Un Certain Regard Jury Awards
Main Prize
Dogtooth, Yorgos Lanthimos, Greece
Jury Prize
Police, Adjective, Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania
Special Prize
No One Knows About Persian Cats, Bahman Ghobadi, Iran
Father of My Children, Mia Hansen-Love, France
Other Main Jury Awards
Camera d’Or
Samson And Delilah, Warwick Thornton
Special Mention
Ajami, Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani, Israel-Germany
Critics’ Week Grand Prix
Farewell Gary, Nassim Amamouche, France
Fipresci Awards
Competition: The White Ribbon, Michael Haneke, Germany-Austria-France-Italy
Un Certain Regard: Police, Adjective, Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania
Directors’ Fortnight: Amreeka, Cherien Dabis, Canada-Kuwait-U.S.
