"...Palme d'Or, 'Elephant.'"
Patrice-Xiahou's voice echoed through every corner of the Lumière Hall and the press room, revealing the ultimate suspense.
Clap, clap, clap.
Applause erupted, and all eyes discreetly turned toward Bertrand-Brialy. No matter what thoughts they harbored, at this moment, congratulations were in order—basic etiquette could not be forgotten.
However...
Bertrand stood with an unhurried expression, calmly smiling in another direction and applauding—Gus Van Sant.
Wait, what?
The brain froze, unable to process. Who... what just happened? Didn't Patrice just announce the winner?
One by one, people looked at each other, confused.
Nicolas froze, his brain halted, but his fingers still worked the keyboard, recording the remaining thoughts until his mind went blank, and his hands stopped.
Stunned, Nicolas felt that something was off.
Next to him, Karl's voice broke the silence. "I think... I just heard Patrice say 'Elephant'... could I be wrong?"
Nicolas jolted.
"Elephant."
Yes, "Elephant"—no mistake.
The 2003 Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or winner was not The Cotillard Family, but Elephant!
History!
They were indeed witnessing history!
Patrice-Xiahou's jury made a bold statement of artistic integrity, refusing to settle or compromise. They followed their own vision, completely disregarding the official festival ratings. They selected only four films out of twenty from the main competition to receive awards.
Just four films, dividing seven awards among them.
Stubborn, willful, even brutal.
But at the same time, resolute, rational, and sharp.
Respect.
Patrice-Xiahou's jury voiced their artistic opinion with a clear, bold stance. And the ultimate touch: awarding the Palme d'Or to Elephant, perfectly encapsulating their artistic manifesto.
Art, born from reality and elevated above it.
Elephant, filmed in a pseudo-documentary style, cleverly portrays societal issues through a seemingly ordinary day at school. The film never explicitly discusses elephants, but each viewer can feel their presence. No one can continue pretending they don't see it.
Rough, minimalist, yet achieving the profound effect of "hearing thunder in silence."
When viewers thought Gus Van Sant was irrelevant, it was a testament to his directorial success—much like Abbas Kiarostami, blurring the lines between reality and film, seamlessly shifting between drama and truth, showing the true power of cinema.
This is more significant than the film's theme of school violence.
After Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant had delved deep into the realm of art films, refining his style. It's no wonder Thierry Frémaux personally invited Gus and HBO to bring Elephant to Cannes.
Of course, the film's theme—both shocking and thought-provoking—left a lasting impact. Compared to the controversies of this year's Cannes entries, Elephant stood out as a true catalyst for reflection.
Boom. Boom, boom, boom—
Did you hear that?
It was a silent thunderclap, the proclamation of the 56th Cannes Film Festival.
Wow.
Nicolas was overwhelmed, finally realizing what had happened. He stared blankly at Karl, feeling a roar build up in his chest.
Ahhhh!
In the next moment, Nicolas heard his own voice echoing in his ears, pulling his body back to reality with the force of gravity.
"'Elephant,' Palme d'Or! Ahhhh!"
Nicolas completely lost it.
The entire press room followed, descending into chaos.
Compared to The Cotillard Family winning the Palme d'Or, Elephant claiming the prize was like a miracle, transforming despair into joy in an instant.
Ahhhh, ahhhh!
A wave of heat surged from the Palais des Festivals, rolling out in an unstoppable rush.
The journalists who had just left the press room paused, immediately noticing the tremors coming from the building. The world itself seemed to be shaking.
The earth trembled.
Wait, what happened? If The Cotillard Family had won the Palme d'Or, there wouldn't have been such a reaction. Did something change?
Hearts tightened.
Could The Cotillard Family have been a red herring?
In previous years, it wasn't unheard of for a recalled film crew to leave empty-handed, serving as mere placeholders.
If Patrice-Xiahou's jury had only recalled four crews, Gilles Jacob and Thierry Frémaux would surely have been in a difficult position. Bertrand-Brialy, the French director still in Cannes, probably wouldn't mind helping out. After all, the old man had seen it all—fame meant little to him at this point. Sitting there all night as a decoy would be no trouble at all.
That would explain the media's confusion.
So, if not The Cotillard Family, then who?
Steps halted, and rumors spread in the heated atmosphere.
Elephant, Palme d'Or!
Emmanuelle spun around to look back at the Lumière Hall. Even through the walls, the madness inside was palpable.
Cheers. Applause. Screams. Whistles.
A surging wave filled the room, shaking the entire building.
An ocean of fervor.
Gus Van Sant stood bewildered, having no idea what had just happened. Hadn't Elephant already won Best Director? That was more than enough, and he hadn't even had time to process the joy. So what was happening now?
"Anson?"
Gus turned to Anson, seeing the radiant smile on his handsome face as he yelled with all his might.
"Palme d'Or, Director! The Palme d'Or!"
Gus blinked, nodding. "Oh, oh, so...?"
Anson pushed Gus toward the stage, clapping behind him and encouraging him with his eyes.
Gus took a couple of confused steps toward the stage, then stopped, turning back.
Anson: ????
Without thinking, Anson noticed Gus still holding the Best Director trophy. He quickly reached out to take it, clearing Gus's hands to accept the grander Palme d'Or trophy.
But Gus beckoned Anson to join him on stage. Turning around, he saw Alex and Eric, equally bewildered.
The two were frozen in shock.
Because the entire audience had risen to their feet. Though there were no spotlights, the ecstatic, excited gazes were more blinding and intense than any light, swallowing them whole.
They were speechless, as stiff as wooden stakes.
What... was happening?