Cannes falls in love with Amour

Michael Haneke's film wins Palme d'Or.

by Amber Wilkinson

Michael Haneke's Amour has won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival.

The film - about an older couple who find their love tested by illness - marks the second time that Haneke has won the top prize. He previously won the award for The White Ribbon in 2009.

The festival jury - presided over by We Have A Pope director Nanni Moretti - awarded the Grand Prize to Matteo Garrone's Italian satire Reality, while Ken Loach's whiskey-inflected comedy The Angels' Share took home the Jury Prize. Loach said his film proved "cinema is not just an entertainment. It shows us who we are".

Carlos Reygadas was named best director for his Mexican tale Post Tenebras Lux. While the Camera d'Or for best first film went to Sundance hit Beasts Of The Southern Wild, directed by Benh Zeitlin.

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen was named best actor for his role as a man accused of child abuse in Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt (Jagten), while the best actress gong was given jointly to Cristina Flutur and Cosmina Stratan for Beyond The Hills (Dupa Dealuri), which is set in an isolated Romanian monastery. The film also won the best screenplay award for writer/director Cristian Mungiu, who previously won the Palme d'Or for 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days.

The short film Palme d'Or went to Silent (Sessiz-be Deng), directed by L Rezan Yesilbas.

The rest of the award winners are below:

Un Certain Regard Special Distinction Children Of Sarajevo (Djeca), directed by Aida Begic

Un Certain Regard Award for Best Actress Emilie Dequenne in Loving Without Reason (À Perdre La Raison), directed by Joachim Lafosse Suzanne Clément in Laurence Anyways, directed by Xavier Dolan

Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize Le Grand Soir directed by Gustave Kervern and Benoît Benoît Delépine

Prize of Un Certain Regard After Lucia (Despues de Lucia), directed by Michel Franco

Cinefondation awards:

1st Prize Cinéfondation The Road To (Doroga Na), directed by Taisia Igumentseva

2nd Prize Cinéfondation Abigail directed by Matthew James Reilly

3rd Prize Cinéfondation The Hosts (Los Anfitriones), directed by Miguel Angel Moulet

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