Roar! Roar! Roar!
Anson was cheering and celebrating wholeheartedly. As Gus stepped off the stage, Anson eagerly approached him again, giving the director a warm hug.
Some might say, "Is this necessary?"
Since the Elephant crew was called back, it meant they were guaranteed an award. At this point, they were just going through the motions of accepting it. Was it really worth this much excitement?
Moreover, it was a director's award, not an actor's award. Why act so proud, as if the honor was personally his? There was no need, truly no need.
To such comments, Anson didn't even bother responding. You could tell right away that they were coming from someone who didn't understand the industry.
Indeed, the three major European film festivals have awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, and if you include the Oscars, these are collectively known as the Grand Slam for actors. Any actor who manages to collect all four trophies earns the highest honor. To this day, only a handful of actors in nearly a century of film history have achieved such a feat.
This is undeniable.
However, that's not the whole story.
What sets the three major European film festivals apart is their approach to directors and to the work as a whole, which is fundamentally different from the Oscars. At these festivals, the top prize holds the highest prestige.
The Golden Bear. The Palme d'Or. The Golden Lion.
These three trophies honor not just the director but also the actors, the script, and the entire film project, immortalizing it in the annals of film history.
The work is what truly matters.
Years from now, people might forget who the youngest Best Actress winner at the Berlin Film Festival was, but no one will forget A Separation reaching the top.
Years from now, people might forget that Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux jointly won the Cannes Best Actress Award, but no one will forget Blue is the Warmest Color taking the Palme d'Or.
It's as simple as that—
Actors should naturally take pride in their work, at least at the three major European film festivals.
Here's a simple question: if you had to choose between your film winning the Palme d'Or or you personally winning Best Actor/Best Actress at Cannes, which would you choose?
Without hesitation: the Palme d'Or.
So, when Elephant won Best Director, Anson was genuinely happy for Gus. Even though it wasn't the Palme d'Or, it was a real recognition of the film, and it validated Gus's creative vision.
It wasn't just Anson; Alex and Eric were equally ecstatic.
When they returned to Cannes, they knew the film was 100% going to win something. But knowing is one thing; actually seeing Gus bring home a trophy was another. The joy and excitement were overwhelming.
Roar! Roar! Roar! Ahhh!
A group of young people were shouting and celebrating wildly, completely savoring the moment.
The guests in the Lumière Hall were also all smiles.
Even the shy and reserved Gus couldn't help but awkwardly wiggle a bit. Just a little though, before he quickly covered his face and waved off the attention.
Haha.
Laughter rippled through the crowd, the atmosphere light and joyful.
Finally, the group settled into their seats, and Anson reminded himself:
The climax of tonight's award ceremony was still to come, with two major trophies left to be awarded.
"Anson..."
From his right, someone called his name. Anson turned slightly.
Alex seemed a bit nervous. "Anson."
He called again, and this time Anson turned to face him, noticing Alex's flushed cheeks and the bright light in his eyes, a product of his excitement.
Noticing Anson's gaze, Alex quickly looked back toward the stage. "I want to become an actor."
Dreams often sprout in the simplest of moments.
When he acted in Elephant, Alex had been nonchalant, showing little interest. But now, the aimless years of youth had found a guiding light, illuminating the path ahead.
Of course, Anson knew how difficult it would be. Every day, thousands of young people flock to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming actors. Yet only a tiny fraction ever make it.
But, so what?
Youth is for taking risks. Besides, you have to dream—what if it comes true?
At least Alex was already ahead of most other young people:
He'd acted in Elephant and walked the red carpet at Cannes.
"Welcome to Hollywood." Anson smiled at Alex.
Alex nodded eagerly, his eyes once again fixed on the stage, filled with stars and oceans of possibilities. He could hardly contain his excitement as the entire hall held its breath—
The Jury Prize was about to be announced.
Everyone held their breath.
If—just hypothetically—if The Cotlet Family took home the Jury Prize, though it would still be hard to accept, at least it wouldn't be the Palme d'Or, right?
Plus!
That would mean the Palme d'Or would go to a film other than The Cotlet Family and At Five in the Afternoon, perhaps even The Barbarian Invasions, which had already won Best Screenplay and Best Actress. That would make sense—at least more so than the alternatives.
After all, the Palme d'Or, Jury Prize, and Jury Award are meant to honor three different films. It's only natural for three different films to win.
After a brief moment of celebration, the tension returned.
Hearts pounded—
Thump thump thump, thump thump thump.
Even though only a second or two had passed, it felt like an eternity. Just before everyone collectively stopped breathing, the answer echoed through the speakers.
"The Jury Prize goes to... Distant..."
Buzz...
There was a persistent buzzing in their ears, as if all sound had vanished, leaving only the flatline of a heart monitor after it stops beating.
Distant—it was Distant!
A shocking upset!
The film that seemed most poised to win the Palme d'Or had unexpectedly come to a halt, only managing to secure second place with the Jury Prize.
Objectively speaking, Distant was only the third film by director Nuri Bilge Ceylan. His previous two films had been in competition at the Berlin Film Festival—one in the Youth Forum, the other in the Main Competition. This time, his entry into Cannes earned him both the Jury Prize and Best Actor—
The latter being a rare double win.
Such accomplishments were eye-catching and certainly deserving of applause.
Yet at this moment, the entire press room was in shock, as if they had been dragged into hell.
Despair.
The results were now clear.
Jury Prize: Distant.
Jury Award: At Five in the Afternoon.
Best Director: Elephant.
Best Actor: Distant.
Best Actress: The Barbarian Invasions.
Best Screenplay: The Barbarian Invasions.
Out of the five recalled crews, The Barbarian Invasions and Distant each took home two awards, emerging as the biggest winners, with Ceylan becoming a standout figure among a new generation of directors. Elephant claimed Best Director, marking yet another milestone in Gus Van Sant's career.
And then...
Then, The Cotlet Family won the Palme d'Or. Everyone's worst nightmare was coming true step by step. After all, of the recalled films, The Cotlet Family was the only one left without an award.
People speculated that Jury President Patrice Chéreau was trying to secure an award for his fellow Frenchman Bertrand Blier, as Blier's career was nearing its end, and without this, he might never receive a lifetime achievement award.
But no one imagined it would be the Palme d'Or.
Wasn't this prize a bit too heavy of a gift?