Cannes 2021, Titane wins the Palme d’Or, a rock film full of music and colors

An awards ceremony in which chaos and creativity reigned. Along with tears and strong emotions, which actors and
directors could not contain. In a warm atmosphere, the emotion for the end of a difficult and strongly desired edition, not only from France, is tangible in the hall. Spike Lee in a suit that is a riot of color and clouds, reminds al
public to be the first black jury president in 74 editions of the Festival. And it is not a detail, considering that a
winning the Palme d’Or was Titanium, a rock film full of color and music, the second feature film by the director
French Julia Ducornau. It tells the story of a serial killer who has been sexually attracted to cars since she was implanted with a titanium plate on her head as a child. He will pretend to be the son of a fireman who lost his baby ten years ago. The film is masterfully played by Vincent Lindone Agathe Rousselle and is an innovation and a push
to the image of composed and respectable French cinema.

The awards ceremony begins with the words “The end” appearing on the screen behind Dora Tillier, the French actress who
has the task of keeping the ranks of the awards ceremony and does not yet know how much the evening will be full of gaffes. Dominant language
the French (even Spike Lee without translation has a Tahar Rahim who lends himself simultaneously) lines for everyone, including the
colleague Lea Seydoux, who in this edition had four films but did not show up because she took Covid.
The ice-breaking awards are the Palme d’Or for short films, which goes to All the crowds in the world, Tang Yi,
who has to graduate in September as a director and invites to hire his Chinese actress, a free lance. Mention
jury special for August Sky, by Jasmin Tenucci. President of the jury of the Camera d’Or is very excited
Melanie Thierry, who turns 40 today. Antonetta Alamat Kusijanovic awards for Murina, but the director flew home,
she gave birth yesterday and today she is already in Dubrovnik with her family.

It is the moment of the jury of the competing feature films, which arrives on stage starting from the female representatives Mati Diop, Maggie Gyllenhall Jessica Hausner, Melanie Laurent. Followed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, Tahar Rahim, Song Kang-Ho. The atmosphere is very rock and roll, Spike says he is thrilled to have seen films in the cinema for two weeks. “Cannes is my second home, I came in 1986, for Lola Darling, and I love you all.”

Marco Bellocchio arrives immediately after and to reward him with the Palme d’Or of honor is Paolo Sorrentino, with a speech that reads
without interpreting. “From Fists in the Pocket he has never ceased to be a reference,” he says of his colleague. “Secluded, discreet,
away from self-centeredness. Lately I’ve been seeing him more and I’d spend hours staring at his candor and vitality, but
above all it is his subterranean restlessness that attracts me a lot. Each new Bellocchio film is an emotion that makes us ask the question “what phase of the war are you in?”. A rebellion with and against himself. He is the most important and young director we have in Italy ».

Bellocchio enters on these words, in the hall there is a standing ovation. Excited, he receives the applause with his arms folded and
eyes wide open. «I have nothing to add, Paolo said very nice things. I thank Thierry Fremaux who, in addition to
being a great manager is a friend. And I want to share this award with people who are part of my family
enlarged. I am excited, and I want to remember Michel Piccoli with whom I have worked splendidly and that in this Palais
won the Palme d’Or for Leap into the Void 42 years ago. And I also want to say that coming here tonight I thought about things
I’ve done have always combined two concepts, imagination and courage. Both are indispensable in the
our job: the director must have courage. The things I am most satisfied with have been done with an act of courage.
Enough, thanks to all ».

At 20.05 you enter the heart of the prizes of this. seventy-fourth edition. IS Spike Lee begins with the first gaffe: when Dora passes him the word he is about to make the mega gaffe of saying live the film that wins the Palme d’Or, without realize that it is the last to be announced and that there is a (new) ball bouncing game to announce every award will always come with new actors and actresses.

Adele Exarchopolus gives the award to the best actor, but Tahar Rahim comes out to deliver it, with a confusing procedure.
However, the winner is Caleb Laundry Jones for Justin Kurzel’s Nitram. He is visibly upset, he can’t even manage to
move on stage. The show continues, with the members of the jury laughing at the constant gaffes, while those who collect the prizes are in tears. Rosamunde Pike delivers the Jury Prize to NadavLapid, for Ahed’s knee, which wins on a par with Memoria di Apichatpong Weerasethakul. There is only one prize on stage, and they don’t know how to divide it. General laughter. Apitchapong sends a vibration of hope and sent to help each other.

The word goes back to Spike Lee, who has no French to English translator, and continues to improvise. The best is awarded
actress, Renate Reinsve for Joachim Trier’s film The worst person in the world, a story in twelve chapters that tells how a woman can have everything in life and despite this still feel like the worst person in the world.

She cries too, as she remembers that this award belongs to many people, and that it was easy to make this film with the
director, who applauds her intensely as he listens to her. To deliver the prize to the best screenplay comes the
Oscar-winning director Andrea Arnold, who brought the highly acclaimed Cow to the Croisette. “The script is the most important thing in a film. When they asked me to award this film I was happy, it is the recognition that secretly
every director would like ». And it goes to Hamaguchi Rysuke for Drivemy car. «I immediately think of the author of the original novel, Haruki
Murakami », says the Japanese director.

All the actors were very good, they told the story of a theater director who suddenly loses his wife and who will recover by staging Uncle Vanya.

Valeria Golino arrives to deliver the Award for Best Director, and in English she explains that she goes to Leos Carax for Annette. Event
rather unusual, considering that at the end of the festival it is difficult for anyone to remember the opening film. Carax is having trouble with a
tooth, to receive his award the musicians who wrote a song for Holy Motors and from there have never stopped
collaborate with the director.

Oliver Stone in a light blue suit and a white red and blue bow tie delivers the jury’s special Grand Prix, he who has brought
his JFK revisited world premiere in Cannes. “I am delighted to be here, to rediscover the big screen”,
tells. «The auditorium with its applause and the films, which were not made under the pressure of the box office. In these days
I have seen three magnificent films, and they told me there were many more, but the prizes are few… »jokes the author of Platoon. And he announces the victory of Asgarh Faradhi with the beautiful A Hero, the story of a man who finds a suitcase full of money and this will trigger many moral conflicts in him. But Maggie Ghyllenhall intervenes to straighten things out,
announcing that the prize is on an equal footing with Compartment n.6. By Juho Kuosmanen. “I’m a big fan of your films,” he says, turning to Asghar and hugging him, to the great emotion of the room.

I’m going back to Spike Lee because it’s time for the festival’s Palme d’Or. “It’s my second chance, I apologize for the mess I’ve made so far!” He jokes. Sharon Stone arrives to unleash hilarity in the room, because he speaks with his eyes wide open.

At the announcement of Titane’s victories, Jiulia Ducornau, the film’s director, bursts into tears. “It’s a perfect evening with all this mess. I come back to speak in French because my parents they are watching me. My film is not perfect, but maybe no movie is. And now that I have grown up I have realized that this perfection is a one-way street. Thanks for letting my monsters into the festival», He says referring to the plot of his film,« and thanks to the actors who gave themselves completely to the film. Above all thanks to my parents for the help they gave me, giving me freedom ». Kisses, hugs to all the members of the jury. And Dora Tillier closes the party by wishing happy holidays to everyone.