'Anora,' 'All We Imagine As Light' lead Cannes winners
What's the story
Sean Baker's latest gem, Anora, clinched the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The film, a poignant yet comedic tale set in Brooklyn, revolves around a sex worker who marries a wealthy Russian oligarch's son. This significant achievement adds another feather to the cap of 53-year-old independent filmmaker Baker, known for his acclaimed works The Florida Project and Tangerine. Here's a roundup of other notable winners of this prestigious film festival.
Winning streak
Baker's fifth consecutive win for distributor Neon
Baker's victory marks the fifth consecutive Palme d'Or win for specialty distributor Neon, following successes with Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, and last year's winner, Anatomy of a Fall. Baker is the first American filmmaker to win the Palme since Terrence Mallick in 2011 with The Tree of Life. He received the award from Francis Ford Coppola—a two-time Palme d'Or winner, whose film Megalopolis didn't win any accolades.
Acceptance speech
'This has been my goal': Baker in his acceptance speech
In his acceptance speech, Baker humorously expressed uncertainty about his future after achieving his long-held goal: "This, literally, has been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years, so I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with the rest of my life." He quickly clarified that he would continue to strive to keep cinema alive and emphasized that films should be watched "attentively in theaters" rather than "casually at home."
Jury praise
This Indian film won Cannes's second-highest honor
Barbie helmer, Greta Gerwig led the jury that selected this year's winners. Despite being highly acclaimed at the festival, Anora's win was somewhat unexpected as many had anticipated either the Indian drama All We Imagine As Light or the Iranian film The Seed of the Sacred Fig to take home the top prize. Nonetheless, the former, Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light—a film about sisterhood in modern Mumbai—won Cannes's second-highest honor, the Grand Prix.
Special prize
'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' took home this prize
Meanwhile, Mohammad Rasoulof's drama The Seed of the Sacred Fig made secretly in Iran and featuring real footage from recent Iranian demonstrations, received a special prize from the jury. French director Coralie Fargeat won the Best Screenplay prize for her daring and brilliantly bizarre cosmetic-surgery horror film, The Substance. The movie features Demi Moore as a washed-up Hollywood star and Margaret Qualley as her younger, more flawless double.
Other winners
Shared Best Actress award went to 'Emilia Pérez' cast
Among the evening's other winners, Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez received two awards: a shared Best Actress prize for its female ensemble, including Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, and Selena Gomez. Additionally, it won the Jury Award. Jesse Plemons took home Best Actor honors for his performance in Kinds of Kindness, a surrealist satire by Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos, where Plemons portrays three characters: a submissive businessman, a grieving police officer, and a bisexual cult member.
Honorary award
George Lucas received an honorary Palme d'Or
During the closing ceremony, George Lucas received an honorary Palme d'Or from his friend and collaborator Coppola in a surprise event. The reunion of these two influential figures in American filmmaking was a highlight of the evening. Other notable winners include Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes, who won the Best Director award for Grand Tour. The Camera d'Or prize for Best First Feature was awarded to Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel for Armand.