76th Cannes Film Festival readies Palme d’Or announcement

Cannes, France, May 27 (EFE).- The 76th Cannes Film Festival ends Saturday with the much-anticipated announcement of its winners, including of its prestigious Palme d’Or prize with 21 films in the running, including favorites “Fallen Leaves” by Akis Kaurismaki, “The Zone of Interest” by Jonathan Glazer and “Anatomy of a Fall” by Justine Triet.

One is a love story with that surreal touch that Kaurismaki likes so much; another an impressive tale about the daily life of the Nazis and the latter a sociological and judicial study of the death of a man.

The jury, chaired by the Swede Ruben Östlund, who is one of nine filmmakers to win two Palme d’Ors, will announce the winners at a gala presented by actress Chiara Mastroianni.

Other films that could take the top prize are “Club Zero,” a devastating critique of today’s society by the Austrian Jessica Hausner, Nure Bilge Ceylan’s reflection on isolation “About Dry Grasses” or the poetic “Perfect Days,” a journey through today’s Tokyo by maestro Wim Wenders with music by Lou Reed.

Among the other nominees are works by such well-known filmmakers as Ken Loach (“The Old Oak”), Nanni Moretti (“A Brighter Tomorrow”), Hirokazu Kore-eda (“Monster”) and Marco Bellocchio (“Kidnapped”).

There is also a debut feature, “Banel & Adama,” by French-Senegalese Ramata-Toulaye Sy, which was very well received, and two works by two established Americans: “Asteroid City” by Wes Anderson and “May December” by Todd Haynes.

For women’s performance awards, the big favorite is the German Sandra Hüller, with two spectacular performances in “The Zone of Interest” and “Anatomy of a Fall.”

And for the men, standouts are Japan’s Koji Yakusho, star of the Wenders film, and Briton Dave Turner in Loach’s. EFE

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