He cannes film festival It has been active for more than 75 years. Located at the forefront of auteur cinema, being synonymous with glamor and prestige alike. With so many decades behind them, it is logical that there are a select number of filmmakers who have won the main prize (the palm d’or) on more than one occasion. Which would be similar to getting the Oscar for Best Picturebut in Europe we do things differently and here it is the director who comes out to collect the award, not the producer.
These are the filmmakers who have had the honor of winning the Palme d’Or on a maximum of two occasions. There hasn’t been anyone yet to get three, but from what I’ve seen, you just have to give Ruben Östlund time.
Alf Sjöberg (in 1946 and 1951)
When the first edition was held in 1946, the Palme d’Or did not yet exist as an award. The top prize was instead the Big prize, and could fall on more than one film. the danish Alfo Sjöberg won it in this inaugural edition with Torture (sharing it with classics like Brief encounter, Days without a trace either Rome, open city), and won a second Grand Prix five years later, for Miss Julia. In this case, just ex aequo with Miracle in Milan of Victory of Sica.
Francis Ford Coppola (in 1974 and 1979)
Historically, the representation of the United States has not abounded in the list of winners, but in the 70’s there was a notable exception coinciding with the establishment of the New Hollywood in the industry. And who if not the leader of this movement was going to be singled out twice, first by The conversation and then for that Apocalypse Now whose filming almost ended his life. Curiously, these palms pointed to the films he directed in the midst of his great classics, the Godparents.
Shohei Imamura (in 1983 and 1997)
It was festivals like Cannes that helped to export Asian cinematography to the world, starting in the 50s. Decades later, there were those who could dispute the international throne that they had cemented Kurosawa, Ozu and Mizoguchi, thanks mainly to winning two Palme d’Ors in the process. Imamura was singled out with top honors as well, for The ballad of Narayama and Eel.
Emir Kusturica (in 1985 and 1995)
This Serbian filmmaker with an inimitable style (no one has connected social cinema with surrealism like him) had a heyday between the 80s and 90s, as the greatest champion of European cinema. Just a decade passed between Dad is away on business and Undergroundgradually ending his idyll with the festival after adding to his record, in 1988, the award for best director by The time of the gypsies.
Bill August (in 1988 and 1992)
skin the conquerorin 1988, was a crowd sensation powerful enough to end up nominated for Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Starring max von sydow, it was the first Palme d’Or for the Swedish Bille August. Barely four years later, August dazzled the Croisette with another emotional drama (also performed by von Sydow): the best intentions.
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (in 1999 and 2005)
Here, without a doubt, the right eye of Cannes. The Dardenne brothers, undisputed fathers of modern social cinema, have won the Palm on two occasions for Rosette and The boybut to this we must add an award for Best Screenplay for the silence of hillanother for Best Direction for The young Ahmedand even a Cannes anniversary award for his latest film to date, Tori and Lokita.
Michael Haneke (in 2009 and 2012)
In the 2000s there was a very intense passion for the bad-roll cinema of this Austrian director, and it was the Cannes machinery that in many ways spurred it on. In addition to giving him a fixed position in each Official SectionHaneke’s cynical look was rewarded with the Palme d’Or on two occasions: for the white ribbon and for which, only in appearance, he distanced himself from the darkness of his previous films, Love.
Ken Loach (in 2006 and 2016)
Another director pampered by Cannes, even when his link with international critics was beginning to crack. This British director won the top prize with The wind that shakes the barley and I, Daniel Blakebut this is just the tip of the iceberg of an intimidating record: Jury Prize by Hidden Agenda, Raining Stones and The angels part, Critics Award for land and freedom…
Ruben Östlund (in 2017 and 2022)
Latest affaire, not without controversy, from Cannes with some filmmaker has materialized in the figure of the Swede. His style must marry Cannes so well that he has won two Palme d’Ors for consecutive films: the square and The triangle of sadness. The latter also earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, and has preceded his appointment as president of the Jury of the 2023 edition.
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