24/05/2015 - CANNES 2015: Hot off the press, we give you the reactions of the jury and the European winners of the competition of the 68th Cannes Film Festival

Here are some excerpts from tonight’s press conference that gathered together the members of the competition jury of the 68th Cannes Film Festival, in addition to the filmmakers and actors who won awards.

Ethan Coen (co-chair of the jury): "The decision to give the Palme d'Or to Dheepan [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Jacques Audiard
film profile] did not take long, because we thought the film was magnificent, although obviously other movies really appealed to the jury members. There were not enough prizes for us to be able to acknowledge all of the films that we would have liked to single out. The rules prevented us from doing that, just as they prevented us from adding another actress to the ex-aequo award."

Jacques Audiard: (Palme d’Or for Dheepan – read the review): "Through this film, what I’m interested in is the other, the perspective of the other, of those people who sell us roses on the terraces and who we know nothing about. It’s a little fanciful, but that’s how it is."

László Nemes (Grand Prix for Son of Saul [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: László Nemes
interview: László Rajk
film profile] – read the review): "I was already surprised to have been selected in competition, so winning an award like this is unbelievable. I’m very happy because the film is going to be distributed all around the world and will reach different cultures. Europe is still haunted by the extermination of the Jews. It’s not just a page in history, and I tried to tackle this subject in a different manner in order to speak to the new generations."

Vincent Lindon (Best Actor Award for The Measure of a Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile] by Stéphane Brizé – read the review): "This is the first time I’ve won an award, and what’s more, it’s in front of the biggest names in a profession I’ve been involved in for 30 years. It’s a huge shock, an immense joy. I have the impression that all of the roles I’ve played have come together in this one role. And it’s also an award for a film that talks about the people who surround us."

Emmanuelle Bercot (Best Actress Award for Mon roi [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Maïwenn – read the review): "It’s indescribable. It’s beyond anything I’d ever dreamed of. And I’m very happy I’ve won it ex-aequo, because it’s less of a weight on my shoulders. But I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Vincent Cassel. I know exactly what I owe him; he is a brilliant actor who completely blew me away during the shoot."

Yorgos Lanthimos (Jury Prize for The Lobster [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Yorgos Lanthimos
film profile] – read the review): "This award is all the more special because it is handed out by a jury chaired by the Coen brothers, who are extraordinary. I was already very happy to have been in the competition. I was stressed and humbled: what were the Coen brothers going to think of my film?"

(Translated from French)