An Iranian filmmaker struck gold at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday. Uma Thurman (of Pulp Fiction fame) awarded Mohammad Rasalouf the top prize at the Un Certain Regard ceremony—the "second tier" award at the festival—for his film A Man of Integrity.
The film, Rasalouf's sixth, was shot in secret in northern Iran; the director walks with an as-of-yet unexecuted prison sentence awaiting. A critique of contemporary Iranian society, A Man of Integrity, like man of Rasalouf's films, is about the individual against systematic oppression, here told through the story of a goldfish farmer battling a corporation.
Taylor Sheridan, a talented screenwriter of films such as Hell or High Water, won Best Director for his second feature, Wind River, starring Elizabeth Olsen (The Avengers, Captain America: Civil War). The murder mystery will see wide release by the Weinstein Company. The producers took the opportunity to criticise the Trump administration's proposed cuts to Native American healthcare and housing. In a statement, Sheridan thanked Arapaho and Shoshone tribespeople for welcoming him during filming.
The Palme d'Or results will be announced this evening.
Full results for Un Certain Regard:
- Un Certain Regard Award: Mohammad Rasoulof, A Man of Integrity
- Best Director: Taylor Sheridan, Wind River
- Jury Prize: Michel Franco, April’s Daughter
- Best Performance: Jasmine Trinca, Fortunata
- Award for Poetry of Cinema: Mathieu Amalric, Barbara
