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 Entertainment | May 2006 
Cannes Film Festival Winners and What They Said
 alarabonline.org
| | Jamel Debbouze after winning the festival's best actor prize. |
Following is a list of the winners of the main prizes and what they said:
PALME D'OR - "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" (Britain) Director Ken Loach: "The wars that we have seen, the occupations that we see throughout the world -- people finally cannot turn away from that. And the fact that this is reflected in cinema is very important for the health of cinema. It's very exciting to be able to deal with this in films, and not just be a complement to the popcorn. I think the trend is very exciting. It puts cinema at the centre of our lives really. I think that's brillant."
GRAND PRIX - "Flanders" (France) French director Bruno Dumont: "I'm very touched. More than that, I'm very honoured. It's an encouragement to those who think sincerely about making cinema without copying the mainstream."
BEST DIRECTOR - "Babel" (Mexico) Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu: "It's a dream for me. A dream I can't believe has happened."
BEST ACTOR - "Days of Glory" (Algeria) The prize went to the male cast, including Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Sami Bouajila, Roschdy Zem and Bernard Blancan.
Debbouze: "We don't hope to change things. But it's important to tell it (the story)."
BEST ACTRESS - "Volver" (Spain) The prize went to the female cast, including Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura and Lola Duenas.
Cruz: "This prize really belongs to (director) Pedro (Almodovar). You are the greatest, the bravest. You put so much magic into our lives. Thanks for what you do for women. I've always dreamt of becoming one of these women. Thank you. I love you with all my heart."
CAMERA D'OR (Golden Camera) - "12.08 East of Bucharest" (Romania) Director Corneliu Porumboiu: "I think there are good young directors (in Romania). I think there is a new wave of young directors."
BEST SCREENPLAY - "Volver" Almodovar: "(In making this film) I was accompanied by my sisters who helped me to remember everything about my childhood in La Mancha that I had forgotten."
JURY PRIZE - "Red Road" (Britain) Director Andrea Arnold: "I'm overwhelmed again. I'm like a rabbit in the headlights."
Iñárritu Wins Best Director Award
Wire services
Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu on Sunday won the 59th Cannes Film Festival directing prize for "Babel," which stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in a multicultural drama about loosely linked families around the globe.
González Iñárritu said more than 1,000 people contributed to the production of the film. "I´m receiving this award on behalf of all of them," he said.
González Iñárritu said he drew inspiration for "Babel" from ensemble pieces used by iconic film-maker Robert Altman.
The film traces the miseries of U.S. tourists in Morocco, a Mexican nanny living in Southern California, two very young Moroccan goat-herders and a deaf-mute schoolgirl in Japan. The stories intertwine in the film and illustrate the invisible connections among strangers.
"Babel" is scheduled to be released on Oct. 6.
González Iñárritu´s previous two features, "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams," also received wide critical acclaim.
He first burst onto the international scene with "Amores Perros" which garnered him an Oscar nomination in the best foreign picture category in 2001. The film is a vivid portrayal of class struggles in Mexico City. Like "Babel," it interweaves three stories, this time through a pivotal car crash.
The success of his debut film led to calls from Hollywood and interest from big-name stars. His follow-up "21 Grams" drew Oscar acting nominations for Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts. It also starred Academy winner Sean Penn in a triangular tale of death and revenge.
Iñárritu continued to work with his regular screen-writing partner, Guillermo Arriaga, for "Babel." Last year at Cannes, Arriaga won the prize for best screenplay in Tommy Lee Jones´ "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada."
According to González Iñárritu, "Babel" completes a trilogy that began with "Amores Perros."
This year is shaping up to be a successful one for Spanish and Latin American cinema. Several films from Mexico were shown at the festival: two in competition as well as features from Argentina and Paraguay. |
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