2011 Cannes Film Festival

64th Cannes Film Festival
Official poster of the 64th Cannes Film Festival featuring a 1970 photo of American actress Faye Dunaway
Opening filmMidnight in Paris
Closing filmBeloved
LocationCannes, France
Founded1946
AwardsPalme d'Or:
The Tree of Life
Hosted byMélanie Laurent
No. of films20 (In Competition)
Festival date11 – 22 May 2011
WebsiteWebsite
Cannes Film Festival

The 64th Cannes Film Festival |took place from 11 to 22 May 2011.[1] American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition.[2] American filmmaker Terrence Malick won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for the drama film The Tree of Life.[3]

The festival opened with Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen,[4][5] and closed with Beloved by Christophe Honoré. Mélanie Laurent hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.

Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci was presented with the third Honorary Palme d'Or Award at the opening ceremony of the festival.[6]

Jailed Iranian film directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof were honoured at the festival.[7] Goodbye by Rasoulof and Panahi's This Is Not a Film were screened at the festival.

For the first time ever, four female directors were featured in the main competition: Australian filmmaker Julia Leigh, Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase, Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay and French filmmaker Maïwenn.[8][9]

Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier caused controversy with comments made during Melancholia's press conference, when asked about the relation between the influences of German Romanticism in the film and his own German heritage, the director made jokes about Jews and Nazis. Stating that he "understood" Adolf Hitler and admired the work of architect Albert Speer, and jokingly announced that he was a Nazi.[10] The Cannes Film Festival organization first issued an official apology for the remarks the same day and clarified that Trier was not a Nazi or an antisemite,[11] the following day the filmmaker was declared "persona non grata",[12] even though the film the film remained in competition, winning Best Actress for Kirsten Dunst.[13]

  1. ^ "Festival de Cannes 2011". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  2. ^ "Robert De Niro to head Cannes Film Festival jury". BBC News. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference awards was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (2 February 2011). "Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris' to Open Cannes Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  5. ^ "Woody Allen's film featuring Carla Bruni opens Cannes Film Festival". RFI. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Bernardo Bertolucci to receive Palme d'Or honour". BBC News. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Cannes Film Festival to honour jailed Iranian directors". BBC News. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Women to Watch at Cannes". RFI. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  9. ^ Higgins, Charlotte (10 May 2011). "Palme pioneers: women directors at Cannes". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  10. ^ Higgins, Charlotte (18 May 2011). "Lars von Trier provokes Cannes with 'I'm a Nazi' comments". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  11. ^ Staff writer (18 May 2011). "Cannes Film Festival Condemns Lars von Trier's Nazi Comments". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  12. ^ Catherine Shoard (19 May 2011). "Cannes film festival bans Lars von Trier". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  13. ^ "Lars Von Trier 'accepts' Cannes ban after Nazi comments". BBC News. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2017.