Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall wins the top prize at trends now

Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall wins the top prize at trends now
Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall wins the top prize at Cannes trends now

Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall wins the top prize at Cannes trends now

Justine Triet took home the coveted Palme d'Or for her film Anatomy of a Fall at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday in a ceremony bestowing the festival's top prize.

The French director's big win marked the third time ever a film directed by a woman has been awarded with the Palme d'Or.

Anatomy of a Fall  stars Sandra Hüller as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband´s death in a engrossing, rigorously plotted French courtroom drama that puts a marriage on trial.

The film beat 20 other films in competition for the top prize, including offerings from veteran directors like Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ken Loach and Wim Wenders, all of whom have at least one Palme d'Or under their belts.

Justine joins New Zealand's Jane Campion and France's Julia Ducournau, who was on was on this year's jury, as only the third woman to have won the competition, that this year included a record seven female directors.

Making history: Justine Triet took home the coveted Palme d'Or for her film Anatomy of a Fall at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday in a ceremony bestowing the festival's top prize

Making history: Justine Triet took home the coveted Palme d'Or for her film Anatomy of a Fall at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday in a ceremony bestowing the festival's top prize

Big steps: The French director's big win marked the third time ever a film directed by a woman has been awarded with the Palme d'Or

Big steps: The French director's big win marked the third time ever a film directed by a woman has been awarded with the Palme d'Or

Justine admitted that being only the third woman to win was 'surprising' and she said the decision was encouraging for the future.

Justine, who had previously been nominated for Sibyl in 2019, said more space needed to be made for young filmmakers to be able to make mistakes and start over.

She said: 'We're at the dawn of deep-seated changes in this respect', also using her award speech to criticize how the protest against pension reforms in France 'has been denied and repressed in a shocking way'.

'The protests were denied and repressed in a shocking way,' said Justine, who linked that governmental influence to that in cinema. 'The merchandizing of culture, defended by a liberal government, is breaking the French cultural exception.'

'This award is dedicated to all the young women directors and all the young male directors and all those who cannot manage to shoot films today,' she added. 

'We must give them the space I occupied 15 years ago in a less hostile world where it was still possible to make mistakes and start again.'

Cannes' Grand Prix, its second prize, went to Jonathan Glazer´s 'The Zone of Interest,' a chilling Martin Amis adaptation about a German family living next door to Auschwitz. Hüller also stars in that film.

The awards were decided by a jury presided over by two-time Palme winner Ruben Östlund, the Swedish director who won the prize last year for Triangle of Sadness.

Congratulations: Jane Fonda, who introduced the award, said that one day it would be normal for women to win, not historic

Congratulations: Jane Fonda, who introduced the award, said that one day it would be normal for women to win, not historic

The ceremony preceded the festival's closing night film, the Pixar animation Elemental.

Jane Fonda, who introduced the award, said that one day it would be normal for women to win, not historic.

She actress and activist, said: 'We have a long way to go. But still, we have to celebrate

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