Julia Ducournau wins Palme d'Or at Cannes 2021 for 'Titane'

At the 74th Cannes Film Festival, Julia Ducournau won the Palme d'Or for her film 'Titane', becoming the second woman to win the top prize after Jane Campion in 1993. The award was prematurely announced by jury president Spike Lee. Marco Bellocchio received an honorary Palme d'Or, presented by Paolo Sorrentino and Pierfrancesco Favino, during a ceremony that also honored his documentary 'Marx Can Wait', released in Italy on July 15, 2021 by 01Distribution. The festival, held amid the pandemic, saw only 70 positive COVID-19 cases among thousands of attendees, who were not isolated. Other winners include Leos Carax for Best Director ('Annette'), Caleb Landry Jones for Best Actor ('Nitram'), and Renate Reinsve for Best Actress ('The Worst Person in the World'). The Grand Prix was shared between Asghar Farhadi's 'A Hero' and Juho Kuosmanen's 'Compartment No. 6'. Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe won Best Screenplay for 'Drive My Car'. The Italian presence in competition was considered underwhelming, though young Italian directors featured in other sections. 'Titane', described as a disturbing, psychedelic fairy tale about identity and transformation, will be distributed in Italy by I Wonder Pictures.