Austrian filmmaker Mickael Haneke’s Amour (Love) won the Palme d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in France, on Sunday 27 May. Haneke won the same prize in 2009 for The White Ribbon.
According to The Hollywood Reporter the film, a critics’ favourite, tells the story of an octogenarian couple who have to deal with the end of love and life as the wife deteriorates physically and mentally. The film stars veteran French actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, who received a standing ovation at the awards ceremony.
In other awards, Carlos Reygadas won the best director award for Post Tenebras Lux, Mads Mikkelsen was named best actor for his role in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt and the best actress prize went Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur for Cristian Mungiu’s Beyond the Hills. Matteo Garrone’s Reality won the Grand Prix, The Camera d’Or prize for best first film was awarded to Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, and the Jury Prize went to Ken Loach’s The Angels’ Share.
For a list of winners, visit http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/awardCompetition.html.
