the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival

They couldn’t resist it. The closing ceremony of the 77^e edition of the Cannes Film Festival opened with a parody of the credits of Star Wars. In the room, did Georges Lucas smile? He is about to receive an honorary Palme d’Or, like Meryl Streep and Studios Ghibli this year. Camille Cottin logically introduced the galactic metaphor into the preamble. The “chancellors” Frémaux and Knobloch, general delegate and president of the Festival, the “interstellar celebration” of cinema… As at the opening, the mistress of ceremonies joked about the Cannes madness. Above all, she had a word for the hands, big or small, who work behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly.

Politics quickly crept into the ceremony. The president of the Cinef jury, section dedicated to student films, Lubna Azabal called “with the voice of the world for the unconditional release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire.” The actress did not need to specify: in Gaza. The Palme d’Or best short filmwhich she was to award, crowned The Man who could not remain silent .

Interpretation prices

Emmanuelle Béart followed her on stage. To award the Caméra d’or, which celebrates the best first film in the competition, all selections combined. The actress of Manon of the sources appreciated, she said seriously, the productions which went “search in the depths of one’s being for what one can no longer keep silent”. Golden Camera: Armand by Halfdan Ullmann Tondel34-year-old Norwegian director.

After a bit of humor from Laurent Laffite, who swears not to have been helped by Chat GPT for a short speech he gave on stage, the prize for best screenplay was awarded to Coralie ForgeatFor The Substance, a feminist film that ventures into the gore side. The French director, who speaks in English, thanks her team and her lead actress, Demi Moore. She ends her speech with a word about MeeToo. Intended to encourage movement: “We need a revolution and I don’t think it has started yet.”

Around female actor award. It returns, rare in the history of the festival, to the four actresses ofEmilia Perez by Jacques Audiard. An astonishing musical comedy in the world of cartels. Among the sacred actresses, Selena Gomez, the muse of American youth. But also Karla Sofia Gascona transexual who plays a sex-changed drug lord.

The latter goes on stage, oscillates between French, English and tears, distributes thanks. “A magnificent masterpiece” she said of Audiard’s film. “It was an absolutely incredible team: this award doesn’t go to me, it goes to the 200 people who worked together to create this film.” She speaks at length, ending with a “Long live France” sound.

Mélanie Laurent, before male acting awardtalks about“humanity”chairs in the room, “humanity” Again. Omar Sy gives the name of the lucky winner: Jesse Plemons of Kind of Kindnessfrom the whimsical Greek Yórgos Lánthimos.

Mohammad Rasoulof, crowned and solemn

Return of politics. “It is not normal to remain normal when thousands of children are dying from bombs in their sleep. Or when there are women who lose their eyes, their arms, their legs, their lives for basic freedoms”, says director Nadine Labaki, member of the jury. She talks about the situation in Gaza and Iran. Before awarding a special jury prize to Mohammad Rasoulof, the Iranian director who fled his country to present Wild fig tree seeds .

Read alsoMohammad Rasoulof: “If I was trafficking cocaine, I would have been less bothered by the Islamic Republic”

His tone, under the lights of the Grand Théâtre des Lumières, was solemn: “Many people on my team are currently under pressure from the Iranian services, my heart is above all with them. My heart is in an ambivalent state, I am both very happy that this film is being shown and recognized by this award, but I am also saddened by the catastrophe that my people experience on a daily basis.concludes Rasoulof, who has a special thought for the artists currently mistreated by the mullahs.

Directing Award : Miguel Gomes and his Grand Tour . A film which, to put it mildly, did not really please the Figaro . “It is not very often that a Portuguese film is in competition at Cannes, I will not comment on this subject, but I thank this cinema where I come from”, notes the director who came to collect his reward. Jacques Audiard must once again take off his hat to salute: after his actresses celebrated with the performance prize, he receives the jury prize For Emilia Perez .

The Palme d’Or Anora

As to Grand Prize, which is worth like a silver medal, he is Indian this year. This is’All We Imagine as Night by Payal Kapadia, who tells through sharing accommodation in a Mumbai apartment, the shackles that imprison women in the largest democracy in the world. A success. “Don’t wait too long to invite another Indian film! », the thirty-year-old laughs at the microphone. For thirty years, no film from the country had been presented in competition. On the microphone, this Paris lover celebrates ” friendship “ And ” empathy “surrounded by her actresses in sari, particularly moved.

It’s time for a tribute to Georges Lucas. The octogenarian watches the 2,500 spectators applaud him wildly, impassive, barely an eyebrow raised. The ovation does not stop. Palpatine sympathetic, the director listens to the mistress of ceremonies Camille Cottin weave his laurels. Before the arrival of a man Lucas knows well: Francis Ford Coppola, who presents Megalopolis in official competition.

The director of Godfather looks back with humor on their friendship born at the University of California a long time ago, in a time far, far away… “He risked everything he had to achieve (to create Star Wars). We are proud of you but the world here pays tribute to you. » The two men kiss.

The man of Star Wars is then invited to present the palme d’or. To Sean Baker, the director ofAnora. The young director can’t believe his eyes. He was here, in Cannes, to present Red Rocket in 2021. His film, which depicts a friendship between a call girl and the son of a Russian oligarch, has the right to the supreme reward and succeeds Anatomy of a fall.

On stage Sean Baker praises theatrical cinema. Tackle the American platform giants who would prefer to see it wither away. Thanks the women around him – “I love you mom”, “my wife, my muse, I love you”. But it is to other women that he wishes to pay homage, to all Anora : “This palm of gold is for all sex workers”concludes the 53-year-old American.