The Palme d’Or winner at Cannes isn’t something that normally warrants a post here, but when its Hirokazu Koreeda, a director I have lavished more than enough praise on, this moment can’t simply be allowed to pass by. Koreeda’s latest family drama, Shoplifters, won the top prize at Cannes despite some stiff competition from Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, Burning, and others that made a late surge. Koreeda has been a consistent presence at Cannes, winning the Jury Prize in 2013 for Like Father, Like Son.
The most talked about film at the festival, Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, took the Grand Prize, or the runner-up award. In case you forgot, Lee lost in 1986 with Do the Right Thing, a decision that remains controversial and discussed today. Lee took the loss personally and hasn’t had much regard for Cannes ever since. This won’t make up for what happened 30 years ago but it’s another sign that Lee may be back at the top of his game. And it’s a nice feather in the cap as the film heads towards domestic release.
The full list of winners is below:
Palme d’Or
Shoplifters, dir: Hirokazu Kore-Eda
Grand Prize
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Jury Prize
Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
Special Palme d’Or
Jean-Luc Godard, Image Book
Best Actor
Marcello Fonte, Dogman
Best Director
Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War
Best Screenplay
TIE
Alice Rohrwacher, Happy As Lazzaro
Nader Saeivar, 3 Faces
Best Actress
Samal Yeslyamova, My Little One
Caméra d’Or
Girl, dir: Lukas Dhont
Short Film Palme d’Or
All These Creatures, dir: Charles Williams
Special Mention: On The Border, dir: Wei Shujun
