An audacious lesbian love story featuring hardcore sex, Blue is the Warmest Colour by French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche, won the top prize on Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival in a watershed year for gay rights.
An all-star jury at cinema’s top showcase led this year by Hollywood director Steven Spielberg crowned the graphically erotic coming-of-age story set in France and clocking in at an epic three hours.
In an unusual step, Spielberg awarded the prize to Kechiche and the film’s two stars, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, who joined him on stage to cheers and calls of “bravo” from the ceremony’s audience.
The main prize winners of the festival were:
Palme d’Or (Best Film) – La French lesbian love story wins top prize at Cannes
Vie d’Adele – Chapitre 1 & 2 (Blue is the Warmest Colour) by Abdellatif Kechiche (France)
Grand Prix (Runner-up) – Inside Llewyn Davis by Ethan and Joel Coen (US)
Jury Prize (Third Prize) – Soshite Chichi Ni Naru (Like Father, Like Son) by Kore-Eda Hirokazu (Japan)
Camera d’Or (Debut Film) – Ilo Ilo by Anthony Chen (Singapore)
Best Director – Heli by Amat Escalante (Mexico)
Best Screenplay – Tian Zhu Ding (A Touch of Sin) by Jia Zhangke (China)
Best Actress – Berenice Bejo in “Le Passe” (The Past) (France)
Best Actor – Bruce Dern in Nebraska (US)
Short Film – Safe by Moon Byoung-Gon (South Korea)
