Finally our little Ladybird in France, attended the awards themselves at Cannes, and reports in with this report...
Sunday, Cannes, France: weather : cloudy. For all the day, we expected the rain. At 7 am, while queuing in order to get a ticket for the gala evening we all feared the rain : it didn't rain but we waited for 2 hours until we got It, The ticket, The only one which was hard ( and it is an euphemism ) to get. During the day, there was not really a lot of people on the Croisette: everybody was waiting for the rain in Monaco, at the GNP, about 60 km away from Cannes. But it didn't rain either.
The great evening arrived at last : no rain but wind. The photographers were outnumbered and there was a huge crowd. Of course, there were stars too. Apart from the Jury ( Martin Scorsese president, with Winona Ryder, Sigourney Weaver, to quote the most worldwide famous ) On the stairs too Jean Reno, Gong Li or Andie Mc Dowell. The ceremony began at 7.30 pm. The prizes in Cannes are not given like it is done at the Academy Awards: actually, anyone who was in a film of the competition can have the prize, there are no nominations.
The ceremony was presented by a French actress, Isabelle Huppert and it began with the prizes for the shorts (won : David Lodge and Lynn Ramsay, won the "Palme" : Xavier Gianoli) Then it was the technical prize, which was awarded to Victorio Storaro, for a most magical movie " Tango" by Carlos Saura, which features wonderful pictures and light and images and colours of dancing. "La camera d'or" which awards the best first movie was for Marc Levin for "Slam" a striking movie in black&white which is set in an American black ghetto.
Then come the important awards: the Prize of Jury is for a film which created controversial or passionate reactions among the Jury. It was ex-aequo : a French Claude Miller for "La Classe de Neige" ( "The Day Trip") and for Thomas Vinterberg for "Festen" (... this one really controversial!!) After came the Prize for the Best screenplay : for Hal Hartley for "Henry the Fool" ( which I didn't see and know nothing about... sorry!)The Prize for the
Best film director was given by the actor Tim Roth, who behaved cool, hands in his pockets and looking (strangely?) casual. This award went to John Boorman for "The General" which tells the story of an Irish "mafioso" who is killed by the IRA. Boorman made a little speech, much applauded, about the Referendum that was voted on Friday.
The award for the Best Actor (Interprétation Masculine) was given by Andie McDowell ( still beautiful!)to Peter mcMullan the wonderful scottish actor of the wonderful movie "My name is Joe" by Ken Loach ( and I think he really deserved it!) He came on the stage in kilt and looked very glad and even made a kind of offer to Scorcese, asking him to be his next actor in a movie!
The Best actress, was in fact, the best actresses : two young french women, Elodie Bouchez and Natacha Regnier in "La Vie Rêvée des Anges" ( The dreamt life of Angels) a strong story about two girls living in the North of the France and working in a factory to get out of it. They have a real strength in this film.
The Great prize of the Jury ( Grand Prix du Jury) is given to a movie which moved the jury, it is a prize which "came from the heart" said Anne Parillaud who gave it : and I'm really glad coz "Life is Beautiful" got it. When Begnini went on the stage he was more than delighted : he kissed everybody, he even went toward the jury and kneeled in front of Scorsese!! ( who was embarassed and laughing too) He thanked everybody, and everybody was up for a standing ovation for at leat 10 min.!
Last (but not least of course), the most envied prize: La Palme d'Or. Gong Li and Jean Reno gave it to Theo Angelopoulos for "The Eternity and a Day" This film director, 2 years ago, got the Great Prize if the Jury, but he was not happy ( poor thing) and said it. This time he looked moved. But though Begnini was applauded by everyone, there were some people hissing him (which often occured in Cannes!). One must say that his movies are always special : often long, they are for cinephiles only. Angelopoulos looks for the image and tries to get a kind of perfection which makes ( in my humble mind, of course!) quite static movies.
The ceremony is not long in Cannes, and it was soon over. The light went down and we watched "Godzilla". But Harry talks about it better than I do! Anyway, if you want my feeling... I was terrified!!
Then everybody went to parties, the ultimate one, on the beaches or in the palaces... and it rained at last!
On Monday, the airport was really busy, and soon Cannes was quiet. The magical stairs now are nothing but a flock of steps with a dirty red carpet on it!!
Bye for now Harry, you'll have news from me next year... if I'm still hanging around!
Coxinelle
-Ladybird-.
