Palme d’Or: Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda. HE comment: Why did they give the top prize to a film I didn’t get around to seeing? I resent that. My sense was that Shoplifters had drawn a respectful response but nobody was doing cartwheels. Nobody grabbed me by the collar and said, “Oh my God…you absolutely must see Shoplifters! The cartwheel winners were Cold War, Capernaum and Happy As Lazzaro.

Grand Prix: BlacKkKlansman, d: Spike Lee. HE comment: The Grand Prix being equivalent to second prize, I find it odd that Lee’s film, an engaging ’70s undercover-cop caper film but far from great art, came away with a more prestigious trophy than the one Cold War earned (i.e., Best Director for Pawlilowski) or Nadine Labaki‘s Capermnaum, which took third prize or Jury Prize.

Jury Prize: Capernaum, d: Nadine Labaki. HE comment: At least it took one of the three top awards.

Best Actress: Samal Yeslyamova, Akya. HE comment: Didn’t see it. My money was on Cold War‘s Joanna Kulig.

Best Actor: Marcello Fonte, Dogman. HE comment: Fine performance, mostly unsatisfying film, not my cup of tea.

Best Director: Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War. HE comment: Approved.

Best Screenplay (tie): Alice Rohrwacher, Happy as Lazzaro & Jafar Panahi and Nader Saeivar, Three Faces.

Special Palme d’Or: The Image Book, Jean-Luc Godard.

Camera d’Or: Girl, Lukas Dhont.

Short Film Palme d’Or: All These Creatures, Charles Williams.

Queer Palm (Feature): Girl, Lukas Dhont.

Queer Palm (Short): The Orphan, Carolina Markowicz.