It’s been an exceptional festival. It was supposed to be, and it’s certainly lived up to its promise. For 12 days, the 74th Festival de Cannes has celebrated our reunion with the cinema as a great international event full of discoveries, encounters and sharing.
On the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the Master of Ceremonies, Doria Tillier, was joined by the Feature Film Jury chaired by Spike Lee and composed of Mati Diop, Mylène Farmer, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jessica Hausner, Mélanie Laurent, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Tahar Rahim and Song Kang-ho, for the announcement of the 2021 Awards.
Feature Films
Palme d’or
Titane directed by Julia Ducournau
The award was presented by Sharon Stone and Spike Lee. Ducournau makes history for being the second woman to win the Palme d’Or in 74 years. Jane Campion won the prize in 1993, jointly with Chen Kaige.
Julia Ducournau said: “There is so much beauty and emotion to be found in what cannot be pigeonholed. Thank you to the Jury for calling for more diversity in our film experiences and in our lives. And thank you to the Jury for letting the monsters in.
Grand Prix (ex aequo)
Ghahreman (A Hero) directed by Asghar Farhadi
Hytti N°6 (Compartment N°6) directed by Juho Kuosmanen
The award was presented by the American director Oliver Stone.
Asghar Farhadi said: “I remember, it was thirty-six years ago. I was thirteen years old and I made my first short film with the resources I had available. Since then, I have been writing and making films, despite the difficulties, despite the pressures. I continue to have the hope of questioning society around me and raising awareness.
Juho Kuosmanen said: “The last two weeks have seemed so long. This film is the story of a relationship between two people, but all stories involve relationships between people.”
Best Director
Leos Carax for Annette
The award was presented by Italian actress and director Valeria Golino.
Ron and Russell Mael, the Sparks duo, said: “Eight years ago Ron and I came to Cannes. We met Leos Carax for the first time and thanked him for using one of our songs in his film Holy Motors. He is a great French director, a great filmmaker. We are very touched to have played a role in this project.”
Best Screenplay
Hamaguchi Ryusuke & Takamasa Oe for Drive My Car
The award was presented by British director and screenwriter Andrea Arnold.
Hamaguchi Ryusuke said: “I am obviously thinking of the author of the short story that inspired this film, Haruki Murakami. I also want to make it clear that I did not write this script alone. TAKAMASA Oe is a full-time screenwriter, but he constantly encourages me to write. I am very grateful to him. It’s a very long film but he always encouraged me to go through with the project. I would like to thank the people who put the script into pictures. If you liked it, it was well acted and I also want to thank my actors. They contributed greatly to the success of the film.”
Jury Prize (ex aequo)
Memoria directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Ha’Berech (Ahed’s Knee) directed by Nadav Lapid
The award was presented by British actor Rosamund Pike.
Nadav Lapid said: “Before the shooting, the situation was very delicate and complicated. My producer asked me if I thought we could do it: I said yes, but I am a director, I say yes to everything! She chose to believe me, and in that she was irrational and reckless. These are the most beautiful qualities one can have to make films. Thank you to all the irrational and reckless people in the world.”
Apichatpong Weerasethakul said: “Thank you to our teams in Colombia and Mexico, it is to you that I dedicate this award. Tilda Swinton, Jeanne Balibar, Agnes Brekke… You have given me the greatest gift of the spirit. Tilda, we talked a lot about this dream, and here we are. You are one of the most remarkable human beings, you have taken me under your wing and I’m vert lucky to be with you.
Best Performance by an Actress
Renate Reinsve in Verdens Verste Menneske (The Worst Person in the World) directed by Joachim Trier
The award was presented by South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun.
Renate Reinsve said: “This award goes to so many people. It was a collective effort, everything came together so easily!”
Best Performance by an Actor
Caleb Landry Jones in Nitram directed by Justin Kurzel
The award was presented by French actress Adèle Exarchopoulos.
Short Films
Palme d’or
Tian Xia Wu Ya (All the Crows in the World) directed by Tang Yi
Special Mention
Ceu De Agosto (August Sky) directed by Jasmin Tenucci
The Palme d’Or and the Special Mention were presented by Sameh Alaa, member of the Jury for Short Films and Palme d’Or for Short Films 2020, and Mounia Meddour, member of the Un Certain Regard Jury.
Jasmin Tenucci said: “I am very happy. This is my second short film, I had a limited budget, my producer just turned 25 and my actress is freelance. If you want to work with a great actress, come and ask me!”
Honorary Palme d’or
Just as American actress-director Jodie Foster was awarded an honorary Palme d’Or at the Opening Ceremony on 6 May, Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio has received the distinction this evening for his exceptional career.
The trophy was presented to him by Paolo Sorrentino.
Marco Bellocchio said: “I would like to share this award with all the people who are part of my film family. I am very moved. I am very happy that you have remembered Michel Piccoli, with whom I worked. He and Anouk Aimée were awarded the acting prize for A Leap in the Dark (Le Saut dans le vide) in 1979. The things I have achieved I have done with imagination and courage. A director has to be able to demonstrate these qualities.”
Caméra d’or
Murina directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic unveiled in the frame of La Quinzaine Des Realisateurs
The Caméra d’or was presented by Mélanie Thierry, President of the Jury of this First Film Selection.
The winner was represented by the film’s co-writer, Frank Graziano, who said: “The director put all her heart into making the film, she gave birth to her first child yesterday and is watching the ceremony from Dubrovnik.”
Higher Technical Commission (CST)
CST Artist-Technician Prize
Vladislav Opeliants (Russia), Chief Director of Photography, Petrov’s Flu, by Kirill Serebrennikov
CST Young Film Technician Award
Armance Durix, Head Sound Engineer Mi Iubita, Mon Amour, by Noémie Merlant.
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard Prize
Razzhimaya Kulaki (Unclenching the Fists) directed by Kira Kovalenko
Jury Prize
Grosse Freiheit (Great Freedom) directed by Sebastian Meise
Ensemble Prize
Bonne Mere (Good Mother) directed by Hafsia Herzi
Courage Prize
La Civil directed by Teodora Ana Mihai
Prize of Originality
Lamb directed by Valdimar Johansson
Special Mention
Noche de Fuego (Prayers for the Stolen) directed by Tatiana Huezo
Cinéfondation
First Prize
L’enfant Salamandre (The Salamander Child) directed by Théo Degen
INSAS, Belgium
Second Prize
Cicada directed by Yoon Daewoen
Korea National University of Arts, South Korea
Joint Third Prize
Prin Oras Circula Scurte Povesti de Dragoste (Love Stories on the Move) directed by Carina-Gabriela Dașoveanu
UNATC “I. L. CARAGIALE”, Romania
Cantareira directed by Rodrigo Ribeyro
Academia Internacional de Cinema, Brazil
The final Screening of the 74th Festival de Cannes: OSS 117, Alerte rouge en Afrique noire (From Africa with Love), the third part of the adventures of Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath was shown to festival-goers at the end of the Awards Ceremony in the presence of director Nicolas Bedos, actors Jean Dujardin and Pierre Niney and cast and crew.
