Cannes winner "The Class" reminds of "Salaam Bombay"

CANNES, France —61st Cannes Film Festival awarded the French film "The Class," a story about classroom life using real students and teachers (amateur actors) at a junior high school, with Palme d'Or, the most coveted prize Sunday, May 25, 2008. The occasion reminded many of Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay" which was also made with real street kids and shot on real locations. "Salaam Bombay" went on to win Golden Camera at Cannes in 1988, reports Kathy Robinson for iefilmi.com.

The second best 'Grand Prize' went to "Gomorrah," by Matteo Garrone (Italy), but 'Best Director' was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey) for his film "Three Monkeys". Best Actor was Benicio Del Toro as Che in "Che" (United States) and Best Actress award went to Sandra Corveloni for her role in "Linha de Passe" (Brazil). Directed by Laurent Cantet, "The Class" ("Entre les Murs") was the first French film to win the main prize, the Palme d'Or, at Cannes since "Under Satan's Sun" in 1987. The film in a docudrama format was shot in a raw, improvisational style to chronicle the drama that unfolds over one school year.

The win was a unanimous decision among the nine-member Cannes jury, said Sean Penn, who headed the panel. obert De Niro had the honours of bestowing the 61st Festival de Cannes Palme d'Or Award on "The Class" by Laurent Cantet.

22 films were screened in the most fierce competitive category for Cannes' precious Palme d'Or- the top award. Most were sad, tragic and grim. No comedies at all.

AWARDS

• Palme d'Or (Golden Palm): "The Class," Laurent Cantet (France).
• Grand Prize: "Gomorrah," Matteo Garrone (Italy).
• Jury Prize: "Il Divo," Paolo Sorrentino (Italy).
• Special 61st Anniversary Prizes: Catherine Deneuve (France) and Clint Eastwood (United States).
• Best Director: "Three Monkeys," Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey).
• Best Actor: Benicio Del Toro, "Che" (United States).
• Best Actress: Sandra Corveloni, "Linha de Passe" (Brazil).
• Best Screenplay: "Lorna's Silence," Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Belgium).
• Golden Camera (first-time director): "Hunger," Steve McQueen (Britain).
• Best short film: "Megatron," Marian Crisan (Romania).

Winning Director

Laurent CantetAt the awards ceremony, Laurent Cantet expressed his emotion and gratitude: All this is the product of ten or twelve years of work together, in the course of which we have forged a real bond of friendship and loyalty. Here, on this night, all together, we're sharing an intense experience. Lately, the film business has not been especially open to making films that are slightly offbeat. It has become very difficult. Paradoxically, this film was made in a way that was... ideal. I read François Bégaudeau's book, and the whole process flowed from that point almost naturally.

Work with the adolescents began in November 2006 and lasted until the end of the school year. We ran open workshops every Wednesday afternoon, and all the kids of the fourth and third level could participate. Not counting those who came just once, we saw some fifty students. Almost all the ones who make up the class in the film are the ones who stayed with us for the entire year. The others dropped out on their own.

Sean Penn ridiculed Oscars

Earlier, in an interview with French daily Le Monde, jury president Sean Penn ridiculed Oscars and urged his fellow jury members to innovate: "The best way to be honest is to try to emancipate ourselves from the effects of fashion, to try to find what will stay with us forever,"

"We've got to do the opposite of the Academy that gives out the Oscars, where manipulation and very good marketing are rewarded," said Pen, who won an Oscar for best actor in 2004 for his performance in Clint Eastwood's drama 'Mystic River'. Ah

India! Wah India!

This was one of the worst years for India in terms of official screenings. None in the competitive categories. However, India's film corporate made huge announcements worth a couple of billion dollars and, in fact, stole the lime light. Money speaks.