Past Cannes winners and notables.

Mike Moore is joining some great company.
This is by no means a complete list. For those go here :) :

www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=features/awards/cannes/palmdor

www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=features/awards/cannes/grandjury

www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=features/awards/cannes/specialjury

These are the ones I have seen and liked a lot. Summaries from http://www.imdb.com , but I left off the ones I think most people know . Feel free to fill me in on the gems I've missed.


Palme d'Or for Best Film:

Underground (1995)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114787/
This movie reflects the history of Yugoslavia since the beginning of WWII (and similar to all ex-communist countries) to the last horrible events in Balcanian countries. Behind the comedy is hidden the pain of whole generations, which have suffered WWII, The Cold War, the war in Yugoslavia, the communism, the treachery of their own leadership, the fall. The film shows us the reality, as seen by those who feel unlimited love for their country and culture. Marko and Blacky represent the true leaders of country, the soul of nation and not without controversies.

Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Piano (1993)

The Mission (1986)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091530/
Based around historical events.

Jeremy Irons plays a Spanish Jesuit who goes into the South American wilderness to build a mission in the hope of converting the Indians of the region. Robert DeNiro plays a slave hunter who is converted and joins Irons in his mission. When Spain sells the colony to Portugal, they are forced to defend all they have built against the Portuguese aggressors.


Apocalypse Now (1979)
Taxi Driver (1976)


Grand Jury Prize:

Life Is Beautiful (1997) Roberto Benigni
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983)


Special Jury Prize:

2 special prizes have gone to Ken Loach. I would highly recommend anything he has directed. I had never heard of him until I watched:

11'09''01 - September 11 (2002)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328802/
If you haven't seen this do it now. No, I mean right now. get going! It is your duty as an American!
But seriously, Loach did the very poignant segment on his youth as a Allende supporter in Chile. In case you didn't know, Allende was killed in a US(Nixon/ Kissinger) supported coup on September 11th 1973. Loach was eventually run out of the country after being arrested beaten and held.

Anyway, Loach rules and typically directs gritty "working class" dramas, usually with political undertones. The 2 that got the Cannes special jury prizes were:

Raining Stones (1993)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107920/
This Ken Loach film tells the story of a man devoted to his family and his religion. Proud, though poor, Bob wants his little girl to have a beautiful (and costly) brand-new dress for her First Communion. His stubbornness and determination get him into trouble as he turns to more and more questionable measures, in his desperation to raise the needed money. This tragic flaw leads him to risk all that he loves and values, his beloved family, indeed even his immortal soul and salvation, in blind pursuit of that goal.

Hidden Agenda (1990)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099768/
When an American human rights lawyer is assassinated in Belfast, it remains for the man's girlfriend, as well as a tough, no nonsense, police detective to find the truth... which they soon discover to be contained in an audio tape which the man had with him, exposing political manipulations at the highest levels of government. But such underlying agendas require careful considerations to avoid worse things than murder.

Well one kick in case anyone is looking for something to rent :)