Swedish film takes Palme d'Or at Cannes 2017

Swedish comedy, The Square, directed by Ruben Östlund, took the prestigious Palme d'Or in what was a surprising win for the film. Claes Bang plays a museum director in the film, whose manicured life begins to unravel after a series of events that upset his, and the museum's, calm equilibrium.

"It's clever. It's witty. It's funny. It deals with questions so important," said French actress and filmmaker Agnes Jaoui, a member of the jury under Almodovar.

Nicole Kidman who has had several offerings in competition, as well as other premieres at Cannes this year, was given a special 70th Anniversary Award for her part in the 2017 event. 

Sofia Coppola became only the second female filmmaker in history to win the Festival de Cannes best director award, the first being Soviet director Yuliya Ippolitovna Solntseva in 1961. Coppola's film, The Beguiled, is a remake of Don Siegel's 1971 Civil War drama about a Union soldier hiding out in a Southern girls' school. The film stars Colin Farrell as the soldier and is told from a more female point of view with Nicole Kidman and Kirsten Dunst.

“I'd like to thank my father, who taught me to write and how to be a film director, and my mother, for teaching me how to be an artist. Thanks as well to Jane Campion, for being a role model and inspiring women to be directors.” - Sofia Coppola

German-American actress Dianne Kruger was named best actress with Joaquin Pheonix taking the best actor prize. Totally unprepared for the award, Pheonix looked shocked when his name was announced and had to apologise for wearing trainers to the event as he has sent his proper shoes home ahead of him.

The Grand Prize from the jury recognises a strong film that missed out on the Palme d'Or and was awarded to 120 Battements par Minute (120 Beats per Minute). The French film, directed by Robin Campillo, tells the story of the activist group ACT UP in Paris in the 1990's during the AIDS crisis.

Now we can start looking forward to a summer filled with good movies and look ahead to the 71st edition of the fantastic Festival de Cannes in 2018.