The Golden Palm Branch is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the field of cinema. Any director can get it, whose picture will appeal to the jury of the Cannes Film Festival. How is the competition program different from the Oscars and why is it more important for some to receive this award than the prize of the American Film Academy?
History
In the 1930s, the annual film festival was held in Venice. Contestants from all over Europe brought their paintings to the court of the Italian jury. At that time, the host country was a leader in the film industry, and it is not surprising that the rest of the states were left without awards. This caused a lot of unrest, and in 1938 a scandal erupted.
The film "Olympia", presented by the German director Leni Riefenstahl, won the award, according to other participants, undeservedly. There were suspicions that the Hitler administration was putting pressure on judges. From the very beginning, there were many contradictions, but this was the last straw - America and Britain refused to take part in the festival.
Cote d'Azur
France resolves the issue radically - in 1939, the resort town of Cannes was ready to accept everyone to show their directorial work. But by September, Europe was in the grip of World War II, and the event had to be postponed for seven years. In 1946, the First International Cannes Film Festival begins. Opens its Soviet director Yuri Raizman with his painting "Berlin".
Golden Palm Branch
Until 1955, the award for the best director was simply called the Grand Prix. The board of directors decided to ennoble the main prize, so it held a competition among jewelers. The idea of making the palm branch a symbol of the festival is quite prosaic - it is this symbol that adorns the coat of arms of Cannes. The winner was Lucienne Lazon, but in 1975, after years of lawsuits for copyright, the Directorate decided to make a new prize. Since then, its design has undergone many changes, and the modern version is a golden palm branch in a case made of blue morocco.
Who can claim victory?
In the late seventies, it was decided to select paintings for the competition. Until that moment, countries themselves offered their films. Now even the nomination is a very solid achievement in the career of any director. The main requirements for full-length work:
- The film should last more than 60 minutes.
- The picture has not previously been nominated for other awards.
- Must be removed no more than a year before the festival.
- The film should not be available in other countries.
- Have English subtitles.
A distinctive feature is that not only a fiction film, but also a documentary tape can receive the Golden Palm Branch. The jury includes eminent directors who have made a significant contribution to the development of the film industry, actors, critics. The judges are determined by the festival management.
Golden Palm Branch Laureates at Cannes Film Festival
Only one Soviet director managed to get a prestigious award. In 1958, Mikhail Kolotozov presented his film “Cranes Are Flying” and earned the main prize in the form of a golden palm branch. In the list of winners there is another winner from the USSR. But in 1946, the prize was called the Grand Prix and looked like a work of art made by the best fashion designers of the time. Be that as it may, Friedrich Ermler and his film "The Great Breakthrough" can be called the first winners. In addition to the main award, there are several more prizes that Russian directors have received in large numbers.
Relevance
Thousands of journalists and reporters from around the world come to Cannes every year in early May. World-class stars come to demonstrate the best outfits and compete for victory. Indeed, to receive the main prize for the best female or male role in this festival is no less prestigious than the same Oscar. Judging in Cannes is famous for its impartiality, and there have never been any scandals that would cast a shadow on the jury's decision. In 2017, the "Jury Prize" was awarded to Andrey Zvyagintsev for the piercing film "Dislike." In the nomination “Special Look”, “FIPRESCI Prize” was received by Kantemir Balagov for the picture “Tightness”.
Distinctive features
Cannes Film Festival is very different from the same Oscar. Although American film academics are trying to intrigue and bring mystery to the upcoming contest, it is not difficult to predict the results even for people far from the world of cinema. Sometimes the struggle goes between two films, and sometimes the leader becomes obvious long before the ceremony. On the Cote d'Azur, everything is not so obvious - one out of ten or more directors can get the “Golden Palm Branch”. Until the last moment, no one knows who the jury will give preference to, and from this the event becomes truly exciting. We hope that Russian directors will be able to surprise the respected refereeing more than once, and the main prize will come to Russia!