Cannes [France], May 28 : The 76th Cannes Film Festival's renowned top prize was given to Justine Triet's 'Anatomy of a Fall' during a ceremony that honoured the captivating, meticulously structured French courtroom drama that puts marriage on trial.
According to Variety, a US-based media house, Triet is only the third woman to win the Palme d'Or (after Jane Campion for 'The Piano' and 'Titane' helmer Julia Ducournau, who joined Ostlund on the jury this year). The prize was presented by Jane Fonda, who remarked on how far Cannes has come -- setting a record for female representation, with seven woman helmers in the competition this year -- since the American star first attended.
In accepting the award, Triet made a point of acknowledging the protests against French pension reform, which were forbidden from the festival.
Jonathan Glazer's 'The Zone of Interest', a terrifying Martin Amis adaption about a German family residing adjacent to Auschwitz, won Cannes' Grand Prix, the festival's second honour. That movie also stars Huller.
As per Variety, the best actor award went to Koji Yakusho, who plays a working-class Tokyo man in Wim Wenders' "Perfect Days." The character spends his mornings cleaning public toilets around the city, while leaving himself free time to read books, raise trees and observe the people around him.
The best actress prize took the room by surprise, honoring Turkish actor Merve Dizdar for her role as a rural school teacher who challenges the self-centered male protagonist in Nuri Bilge Ceylan's long and philosophical 'About Dry Grasses'.
Sakamoto Yuji won the screenplay prize for Kore-eda Hirokazu's 'Monster', which also received the Queer Palm the night before, while Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki took the Jury Prize for 'Fallen Leaves', a seemingly timeless love story between two strangers struggling to keep their jobs, forced into the present by radio dispatches from the war in Ukraine.
Directing honors went to Tran Anh Hung for 'The Pot au Feu'. Set in 19th-century France, the mouthwatering feature focuses on the shared passion between a celebrated gourmet (Benoit Magimel) and his cook (Juliette Binoche) of nearly 20 years, which extends from the kitchen to their personal lives. In accepting the prize, the director thanked his wife, then corrected himself, identifying her as 'his cook' instead, reported Variety.
Ostlund co-presented the awards with fellow jurors Paul Dano and Brie Larson, Moroccan director Maryam Touzani, French actor Denis Menochet, British-Zambian writer-director Rungano Nyoni, Afghan author Atiq Rahimi, Argentinian writer-director Damian Szifron and French director Ducournau.
The Camera d'Or award for best first feature is determined by a different jury. This honour was given to the three-hour art film "Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell," directed by Vietnamese director Thien An Pham and it premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section.
Full list of prizes below, as reported by Variety.
COMPETITION
Palme d'Or: 'Anatomy of a Fall', Justine Triet
Grand Prix: 'The Zone of Interest', Jonathan Glazer
Director: Tran Anh Hung, 'The Pot au Feu'
Actor: Koji Yakusho, 'Perfect Days
Actress: Merve Dizdar, 'About Dry Grasses'
Jury Prize: 'Fallen Leaves', Aki Kaurismaki
Screenplay: Sakamoto Yuji, 'Monster'
OTHER PRIZES
Camera d'Or: 'Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell', Thien An Pham
Short Films Palme d'Or: "27," Flora Anna Buda.
Short Films Special Mention: "Far," Gunnur Martinsdottir Schluter
Golden Eye Documentary Prize: TBA
Queer Palm: 'Monster'
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Un Certain Regard Award: 'How to Have Sex,' Molly Manning Walker
Jury Prize: 'Hounds,' Kamal Lazraq
Best Director Prize: 'The Mother of All Lies,' Asmae El Moudir
Freedom Prize: 'Goodbye Julia,' Mohamed Kordofani
Ensemble Prize: 'The Buriti Flower,' Joao Salaviza, Renee Nader Messora, cast and crew
New Voice Prize: 'Omen,' Baloji
DIRECTORS' FORTNIGHT
Europa Cinemas Label: 'Creatura,' Elena Martin
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: 'A Prince,' Pierre Creton
CRITICS' WEEK
Grand Prize: 'Tiger Stripes,' Amanda Nell Eu
French Touch Prize: 'It's raining in the house,' Paloma Sermon-Dai
GAN Foundation Award for Distribution: Pyramide Films, 'Inshallah a boy'
Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Jovan Ginic, 'Lost Country'