It’s a tradition that includes such classic films as MASH, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, Sex, Lies and Videotape and Pulp Fiction. Now we can add – for the second time! – the work of English director Ken Loach, whose new drama I, Daniel Blake just won the prestigious Palme d’Or from the Cannes Film Festival.
I, Daniel Blake is the story of a man who must navigate red tape to receive state assistance in his old age. It’s another social message drama from Loach, whose previous Palme d’Or winner The Wind That Shakes the Barley dramatized the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War.
Ken Loach expressed his thoughts about the power of cinema in his acceptance speech (via Variety): “Film can bring us the world of the imagination. But it can also bring us the world that we live in… We must give a message of hope. We must say that another world is possible, and necessary.”
Other winners include the Grand Prix award for Xavier Dolan, whose new drama It’s Only the End of the World tells the story of a man who reunites with his family, only to announce his imminent death. (Dolan’s film also won the Ecumenical Jury Prize.) The Best Director award was a tie between Olivier Assayas for his supernatural drama Personal Shopper, and Cristian Mungiu for the Romanian drama Graduation.
Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s new film The Salesman won two prizes, for Best Screenplay (Farhadi) and for Best Actor (Shahab Hosseini). Jaclyn Jose won Best Actress for the Filipino drama Ma’ Rosa, and Andrea Arnold won the Jury Prize for her new film American Honey.
For the complete list of winners, check out the official Cannes Film Festival website.
Top Photo: eOne Films
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved, Rapid Reviews and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
