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123869
Mon, 05/24/2010 - 14:41
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First Thai film scores at Cannes with Palme d’Or
CANNES, France, May 24 (TNA) - Overturning pre-festival expectations, “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” by Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul won the top prize in France's Palme d'Or award at Cannes Sunday.
The movie tells a surreal afterlife tale of a dying man, Boonmee, who meets spirits of the dead with giant monkeys and an erotic catfish that has sex with a princess.
It was the first Thai film with its highest achievement and was the 6th Asian film winning a Palme d'Or in this world-class international film festival in 70 years.
"I'd like to send a message home: the prize is for you," said the 39-year-old director on accepting the award for the film which he said took three and a half years to make.
Mr Boonmee also thanked his parents for their inspiration toward his career. He said they had taken him for the first time to a small local movie theatre some 30 years ago, and he could not even remember what film they watched.
In English, he added, "this is like another world for me... this is surreal." He thanked "all the spirits and ghosts in Thailand," who made it "possible" for him to be there.
His winning was a surprise and an upset following critics tipping French director Xavier Beauvois's 'Of Gods and Men' (Des Hommes Et Des Dieux), a film set in Algeria where Catholic monks threatened by Islamists, and which automatically took the second place Grand Prix prize.
In 2004, Apichatpong's Tropical Malady, his fourth movie, won the Jury Prize (Prix du Jury), while his Blisfully Yours received a side-competition Un Certain Regard award in 2002, both at the same festival.
The acting prizes went for Spanish actor Javier Bardem, star of 'Biutiful' by Mexico's Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, as best actor together with Italy's Elio Germano from Italian social drama 'Our Life' (La Nostra Vita), while France's Juliette Binoche won the best actress award as an unhappy art dealer in 'Certified Copy' by Iran's Abbas Kiarostami.
France's Mathieu Amalric was named best director for 'On Tour' (Tournée) while 'Poetry' by South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-Dong won the prize for best screenplay.
The 63rd Cannes International Film Festival was held from May 12-23 at the southern French resort of Cannes with this year's head of the festival jury, US film-maker Tim Burton. (TNA)
The movie tells a surreal afterlife tale of a dying man, Boonmee, who meets spirits of the dead with giant monkeys and an erotic catfish that has sex with a princess.
It was the first Thai film with its highest achievement and was the 6th Asian film winning a Palme d'Or in this world-class international film festival in 70 years.
"I'd like to send a message home: the prize is for you," said the 39-year-old director on accepting the award for the film which he said took three and a half years to make.
Mr Boonmee also thanked his parents for their inspiration toward his career. He said they had taken him for the first time to a small local movie theatre some 30 years ago, and he could not even remember what film they watched.
In English, he added, "this is like another world for me... this is surreal." He thanked "all the spirits and ghosts in Thailand," who made it "possible" for him to be there.
His winning was a surprise and an upset following critics tipping French director Xavier Beauvois's 'Of Gods and Men' (Des Hommes Et Des Dieux), a film set in Algeria where Catholic monks threatened by Islamists, and which automatically took the second place Grand Prix prize.
In 2004, Apichatpong's Tropical Malady, his fourth movie, won the Jury Prize (Prix du Jury), while his Blisfully Yours received a side-competition Un Certain Regard award in 2002, both at the same festival.
The acting prizes went for Spanish actor Javier Bardem, star of 'Biutiful' by Mexico's Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, as best actor together with Italy's Elio Germano from Italian social drama 'Our Life' (La Nostra Vita), while France's Juliette Binoche won the best actress award as an unhappy art dealer in 'Certified Copy' by Iran's Abbas Kiarostami.
France's Mathieu Amalric was named best director for 'On Tour' (Tournée) while 'Poetry' by South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-Dong won the prize for best screenplay.
The 63rd Cannes International Film Festival was held from May 12-23 at the southern French resort of Cannes with this year's head of the festival jury, US film-maker Tim Burton. (TNA)
