Rock star road movie wins Cannes religious award

AFP

CANNES, France (AFP) – Cannes awarded its Ecumenical Jury prize Saturday to "This Must Be The Place", Paolo Sorrentino's film about an ageing rock star's US odyssey also fancied for the coveted Palme d'Or.

A day before the announcement of the winner of the top prize at the world's largest film festival, the award for the best work "revealing the mysterious depths of human beings" went to Italian director Sorrentino's film starring Sean Penn.

The jury hailed it as "a classic drama of great richness and elaborate aesthetics (which) gracefully opens deep and serious paths of reflection", for the search by Penn's character for his Jewish roots and his father's Nazi tormentor.

Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki's "Le Havre" about illegal immigration in France and Nadine Labaki's "Where Do We Go Now?" about women trying to ease religious tensions in their native Lebanon also received commendations.

"Le Havre" is "an ode to hope, solidarity and brotherhood," the jury said, while Labaki's film is "a poetic tale balancing carefully between comedy and tragedy, provoking an emotion that is turned towards hope."

Kaurismaki's film also won the International Critics' Prize (FIPRESCI) for the official competition, whose jury is presided over by nine film critics from around the world.

FIPRESCI gave another prize to Pierre Schoeller's "The Minister" about the surreal strains on a French politician (Olivier Gourmet) during his exercise of power, screening in the parallel Un Certain Regard section of the festival.

The 64th Cannes festival jury presided by US actor Robert De Niro is to announce the awards, including the Palme d'Or, at a gala ceremony on Sunday.