Cannes 2023: 'Anatomy of a Fall' makes Justine Triet third ever female Palme d’Or winner - full winners list

For only the third time in Cannes Film Festival history, a female director has won the prestigious Palme d’Or as the film festival draws to a close this evening. French director Justine Triet’s ‘Anatomy of a Fall,’ beat out the other competitors in competition, including early favorite Ken Loach, to join Jane Campion and Julia Docournau as the only female directors ever to lift the award.

The thought-provoking legal drama delves into the guilt or innocence of a renowned novelist, played by Sandra Hüller, who stands accused of murdering her husband. However, the film goes beyond a courtroom trial, bringing personal details from the couple's life into the public eye for dissection, as if under a microscope. 

Triet beat out another late favorite for the Palme d’Or, ‘The Zone of Interest,’ directed by Jonathan Glazer, which ended up taking the Grand Prix - calling it a consolation would be an overstatement given the many films that have picked up the Grand Prix and become at times bigger than the Palme d’Or winner  Based on Martin Amis's World War II novel, the haunting portrayal of a German commandant responsible for executing Jews at Auschwitz explores the private life of the officer and his wife. By highlighting the morality of the perpetrators rather than explicitly depicting the horrors of the Holocaust, the film prompts audiences to reflect on the complex choices made during that dark period of history.

The Best Actor award went to Kōji Yakusho for his role in Wim Wenders' ‘Perfect Days,’ portraying a working-class man in Tokyo who spends his mornings cleaning public toilets while observing the world around him. The Best Actress prize was awarded to Merve Dizdar, surprising the audience with her exceptional performance as a rural school teacher challenging the self-centered male protagonist in Nuri Bilge Ceylan's philosophical film, "About Dry Grasses."

The Screenplay Prize was given to Sakamoto Yûji for ‘Monster,’ while Aki Kaurismaki received the Jury Prize for ‘Fallen Leaves’ and Tran Anh Hung's "The Pot au Feu" earned the directing honors. Set in 19th-century France, this mouthwatering feature explores the passionate relationship between a celebrated gourmet and his cook of nearly two decades, portrayed by Benoît Magimel and Juliette Binoche, respectively. Tran Anh Hung thanked his wife during the acceptance speech, playfully referring to her as his cook.

Cannes Film Festival 2023; complete list of winners at closing night

Competition Category

• Palme d'Or: Anatomy of a Fall’ - Justine Triet
• Grand Prix: ‘The Zone of Interest -  Jonathan Glazer
• Director: Tran Anh Hung - ‘The Pot au Feu’
• Actor: Kōji Yakusho - ‘Perfect Days’
• Actress: Merve Dizdar - ‘About Dry Grasses’
• Jury Prize: ‘Fallen Leaves’ - Aki Kaurismaki
• Screenplay: Sakamoto Yûji - ‘Monster’
• Camera d'Or: ‘Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell’ - Thien An Pham
• Short Films Palme d'Or: ‘27’ - Flóra Anna Buda
• Short Films Special Mention: ‘Fár’ - Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter
• Queer Palm: ‘Monster’

Un Certain Regard

• Un Certain Regard Award: ‘How to Have Sex’ - Molly Manning Walker
• Jury Prize: Kamal Lazraq - ‘Hounds’
• Director: Asmae El Moudir - ‘The Mother Of All Lies’
• New Voice: Baloji - ‘Omen’
• Ensemble Prize: ‘The Buriti Flower’
• Freedom Prize: ‘Goodbye Julia’