Entre les murs (The Class) by Laurent Cantet wins the Palme d’Or at the 61st Cannes Film Festival.
The jury of the 61st Cannes Film Festival, led by Sean Penn (who had predicted the flavor of this year’s winners at the inaugural press conference, stating that he hoped to honor films in tune with contemporary society), gave its top prize to Laurent Cantet for his fourth film. France has not received the Palme d’Or since 1987, when it was won by Sous le Soleil de Satan by Maurice Pialat. Cantet’s film had already created a stir at the festival’s Film Market several days prior to its official screening, with acquisition deals tied up in 29 countries including the Benelux territories (CinéArt), Brazil (Imovision), Spain (Golem), Italy (Mikado), the UK (Curzon Artificial Eye), Greece (Ama Films), former Yugoslavia (Megacom), Germany (Concorde), and Scandinavia (Non Stop). This Palme d’Or award will no doubt lead to added international exposure for the film.
At Cannes this year to present two films (Un Conte de Noël, aka A Christmas Tale, in the Official Competition and Je veux voir, aka I Want to See, at the Un Certain Regard sidebar), Catherine Deneuve was awarded a Special Jury Prize in honor of her outstanding career in the movie industry.
Two French co-productions also picked up awards this year, with Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne honored with the Best Screenplay Award for Le Silence de Lorna (The Silence of Lorna), and Nuri Bilge Ceylan voted Best Director for Three Monkeys.
In other festival sections, films produced and co-produced by France also won the hearts of the various juries.
Snow by Aida Begic won the Best Film Award at International Critics’ Week; Johnny Mad Dog by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire picked up the prize for Most Promising New Film in the Un Certain Regard section; while Forbach by Claire Burger received the 2008 Cinéfondation 2nd Prize. At the Directors’ Fortnight, Eldorado by Bouli Lanners waltzed off with two awards, the FIPRESCI Prize and the “Regards Jeunes” Prize, given to a director’s first or second feature. And finally, the SACD gave its coveted Claire Simon Award to Les Bureaux de Dieu (God’s Offices).
