Cannes 2023:Justine Triet becomes third female filmmaker to win Palme d'Or at Cannes

Cannes 2023 concluded on May 27 with the conferring of the much-awaited Palme d'Or award. Justine Triet took home the big price of Palme d'Or for her film Anatomy of a Fall. In the 76 years of the Cannes Film Festival, this is only the third time a woman has bagged the big honour.

While presenting the award, James Fonda called the moment ‘historic’ and quipped that one day it would be normal for a woman to win the top prize and not ‘historic’. However, Fonda also mentioned that the year is historic for the film festival as seven out of the twenty films nominated in the category were helmed by woman directors. Justine Triet become the third woman to lift the Palme d'Or award at Cannes.

The other women who won Palme d'Or

Previously, Jane Campion and Julia Ducournau had won the Palme d’Or. Jane Campion was the first woman to win the award in 1993. 28 years later, French filmmaker Julia Ducournau won the award for the movie Titane in 2021. Juline Trite's Anatomy of a Fall has become only the third film directed by a female to win the biggest honour at the Cannes.  

First woman to win at Cannes

Jane Campion is a New Zealand director who won the Palme D’Or in 1993 for her movie The Piano. Not only she was the first female director to receive the award, but she was also only the second female director to be nominated in the category. In 2014, Campion served as the President of the jury for Feature Films. She also served as the President of the Cinéfondation & Short Films jury in 2013.

Second woman lifts Palme d'Or after 28 years

Julia Ducournau won the honour in 2021, becoming the second woman to win the Palme d’Or. She won the award for her movie Titane. This year, she served as the jury member for the Feature Films in 2023.

Other awards at Cannes 2023  

Apart from the prizes in feature presentations, Cannes Film Festival also honours “arthouse, artistically daring films”, in the category called Un Certain Regard. The category shortlisted 20 films to feature, with Molly Manning Wlaker’s directorial debut How to Have Sex winning the top prize. The Palme for the best short film was awarded to 27 helmed by Flora Anna Buda.