66th Festival de Cannes 2013 Awards – BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR Color Wins Palme D’Or; Coen Brothers Take Grand Prize

After a week of stars, filmmakers, and worldwide media coverage on the Croisette, the 2013 Cannes Film Festival came to an end today. The Palme d’Or went to BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR from director Abdellatif Kechiche, best director award went to Amat Escalante for HELI, while the Jury Grand Prix went to the Coen Bros. for INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS.

The Closing Ceremony of the 66th Festival de Cannes took place at the Grand Théâtre Lumière where the Jury, presided over by Steven Spielberg, revealed the award winners.

Audrey Tautou hosted Uma Thurman on the stage to award the Palme d’or to the best film among the 20 in Competition. Taking place May 15 – 26, director Baz Luhrmann’s THE GREAT GATSBY kicked off the 66th Festival in the Grand Théâtre Lumière of the Palais des Festivals, out of Competition in the Official Selection.

With films such as INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS scheduled to be released on December 6 of this year, how does a Cannes win translate come Academy Awards time when the nominations are announced on January 16, 2014? Gregory Ellwood over at HitFix writes on the Cannes / Oscar combo: “For every “Pulp Fiction” and “Moulin Rouge!” there were multiple years where awards season and Cannes barely intertwined. 2013 looks like something of a mixed bag for films hoping to find recognition from the Academy down the road.”

Palme d’Or: LA VIE D’ADÈLE – CHAPITRE 1 & 2 (Blue Is The Warmest Colour) by Abdellatif Kechiche with Adèle Exarchopoulos & Léa Seydoux

At 15, Adele doesn’t question it: girls go out with boys. Her life is changed forever when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire, to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adele grows, seeks herself, loses herself, finds herself…

The President of the Jury, Steven Spielberg, explained that “The Jury took note of the excellence of three artists: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Léa Seydoux et Abdellatif Kechiche.”

After receiving his award from American actress Uma Thurman, the winner, accompanied by his two actresses, declared: “I want to remind everyone of a man who helped me find my way, who I love and who I miss: Claude Berri. I want to dedicate this prize and this film to the wonderful young people of France.”

The Jury Grand Prix: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen.

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS follows a week in the life of a young folk singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is at a crossroads. Guitar in tow, huddled against the unforgiving New York winter, he is struggling to make it as a musician against seemingly insurmountable obstacles-some of them of his own making.

The Grand Prix was awarded by Kim Novak, guest of honour at the Festival de Cannes.

The prize was received by the lead actor, Oscar Issac, who was very moved to meet Kim Novak on stage. He said that the Coen brothers had not been able to get back from New York, and he passed the microphone to the producer of the film, Olivier Courson. The president of Studio Canal said: “It was a great honour to accompany the Coen brothers in this first film in New York, for this first major role for Oscar Isaac,” before reassuring everyone that the cat in the film was doing fine.

Best Director: Amat Escalante for HELI.

Estela is a 12 year old girl who has just fallen crazy in love with a young police cadet who wants to run away with her and get married. Trying to achieve this dream, her family will have to live the violence that is devastating the region.

After receiving his award from Forest Whitaker, the winner said: “I’d like to thank this Jury for making this brave decision. It is a sign of hope for Mexico. Hopefully our suffering will come to an end very soon.”

Award for Best Actress: Bérénice Bejo – LE PASSÉ (The Past) by Asghar Farhadi.

Following a four year separation, Ahmad returns to Paris from Tehran, upon his French wife Marie’s request, in order to finalize their divorce procedure. During his brief stay, Ahmad discovers the conflicting nature of Marie’s relationship with her daughter Lucie. Ahmad’s efforts to improve this relationship soon unveil a secret from their past.

Best performance by an actor: Bruce Dern – NEBRASKA by Alexander Payne.

A poor old man living in Montana escapes repeatedly from his house to go to Nebraska to collect a sweepstakes prize he thinks he has won. Frustrated by his increasing dementia, his family debates putting him into a nursing home — until one of his two sons finally offers to take his father by car, even as he realizes the futility.

En route the father is injured, and the two must rest a few days in the small decaying Nebraska town where the father was born and where, closely observed by the son, he re-encounters his past. (Don’t worry — it’s a comedy.)

Shot in black and white across four American states, the film blends professional actors with non-actors and aspires to mirror the mood and rhythms of its exotic locations.

The Prize for Best Screenplay: to Jia Zhangke, for Tian Zhu Ding (A TOUCH OF SIN).

An angry miner revolts against the corruption of his village leaders. A migrant worker at home for the New Year discovers the infinite possibilities a firearm can offer. A pretty receptionist at a sauna is pushed to the limit when a rich client assaults her. A young factory worker goes from job to job trying to improve his lot in life.

Four people, four different provinces. A reflection on contemporary China: that of an economic giant slowly being eroded by violence.

On receiving the award from the actress Asia Argento, the winner declared, “It’s a great honour. The cinema allows us to believe in life.”

Jury Prize: SOSHITE CHICHI NI NARU (Like Father, Like Son / Tel Père, Tel Fils) by Hirokazu Koreeda

Ryota has earned everything he has by his hard work, and believes nothing can stop him from pursuing his perfect life and living as a winner. Then one day, he and his wife, Midori, get an unexpected phone call from the hospital. Their 6-year-old son, Keita, is not their son – the hospital gave them the wrong baby.

Ryota is forced to make a life-changing decision, to choose between “nature” and “nurture”. In the meanwhile, seeing Midori’s devotion to Keita even after learning his origin, and communicating with the rough yet caring family who raised his blood son for the last six years, Ryota also starts to question himself: has he really been a “father” all these years…

The moving story of a man who finally faces himself when he encounters an unexpected wall for the first time in his life.

Un Certain Regard 2013 were presented in competition to 17 films hailing from 15 different countries. 6 of the works were first films.The Bling Ring directed by Sofia Coppola opened the program out of competition. Under the presidency of Thomas VINTERBERG (director – Denmark), the Jury was comprised of ZHANG Ziyi (actress – China), Ludivine SAGNIER (actress – France), Ilda SANTIAGO (Head of Festival do Rio – Brazil) and Enrique GONZALEZ MACHO (producer, distributor, exhibitor – Spain).

SHORT FILMS

Palme d’Or: SAFE by MOON Byoung-gon

Special Mention – Ex-aequo

HVALFJORDUR (Whale Valley / Le Fjord des Baleines) by Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson
37°4 S by Adriano Valerio

CAMERA D’OR : ILO ILO by Anthony Chen presented in the Directors’ Fortnight

© AFP

The Jury of the 66th Festival de Cannes had to decide between the various films in Competition. The prizewinners were announced during the Closing Ceremony on May 26th, culminating in the coveted Palme d’Or.

THE COMPETITION JURY 2013

Steven SPIELBERG, President – Director, Producer, Writer / United States
Vidya BALAN Actress / India
Naomi KAWASE Director / Japan
Nicole KIDMAN Actress, Producer / Australia
Lynne RAMSAY Writer, Director, Producer / United Kingdom
Daniel AUTEUIL Actor, Director / France
Ang LEE Director, Producer, Writer / Taïwan
Cristian MUNGIU Writer, Director, Producer / Romania

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