CANNES, France — The 68th Cannes Film Festival was brought to a surprising close Sunday with Jacques Audiard’s refugee film taking the festival’s coveted top honor, the Palme d’Or.
The choice of “Dheepan,” as selected by a jury led by Joel and Ethan Coen, left some critics scratching their heads. While the dapper French filmmaker has drawn widespread acclaim for films such as “A Prophet” and “Rust and Bone,” some critics were disappointed by the thriller climax of Audiard’s film.
“Dheepan” is about a trio of Sri Lankans who pretend to be a family in order to flee their war-torn country for a housing project in France.
“This isn’t a jury of film critics,” Joel Coen told reporters after the awards ceremony, alongside fellow jurors like Guilliermo del Toro and Jake Gyllenhaal. “This is a jury of artists who are looking at the work.”
“We all thought it was a very beautiful movie,” said Ethan Coen, calling the decision “swift.” “Everyone had some high level of excitement and enthusiasm for it.”
The runner-up prize, the Grand Prix, went to “Son of Saul,” a grim Holocaust drama by first-time Hungarian director László Nemes. Some expected Nemes’ horrifying plunge into the life of an Auschwitz worker to take the top award.
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