STORM2K

CANNES, France (AP) -- U.S. filmmaker Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," a scathing indictment of White House actions after the September 11 attacks, won the top prize Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" was the first documentary to win Cannes' prestigious Palme d'Or since Jacques Cousteau's "The Silent World" in 1956.

"What have you done? I'm completely overwhelmed by this. Merci," Moore said after getting a standing ovation from the Cannes crowd.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" took the prestigious Palme d'Or amid sharply divided Cannes moviegoers, who found a solid crop of good movies among the 19 entries in the festival's main competition but no great ones that rose to frontrunner status.

While "Fahrenheit 9/11" was well-received by Cannes audiences, many critics felt it was inferior to Moore's Academy Award-winning documentary "Bowling for Columbine," which earned him a special prize at Cannes in 2002. Some critics had speculated that if "Fahrenheit 9/11" won the top prize, it would be more for the film's politics than its cinematic value.

With Moore's customary blend of humor and horror, "Fahrenheit 9/11" accuses the Bush camp of stealing the 2000 election, overlooking terrorism warnings before September 11 and fanning fears of more attacks to secure Americans' support for the Iraq war.

Moore appears on-screen far less in "Fahrenheit 9/11" than in "Bowling for Columbine" or his other documentaries. The film relies largely on interviews, footage of U.S. soldiers and war victims in Iraq, and archival footage of Bush.

The best-actress award went to Maggie Cheung for her role in "Clean" as a junkie trying to straighten out her life and regain custody of her young son after her rock-star boyfriend dies of a drug overdose.

Fourteen-year-old Yagira Yuuya was named best actor for the Japanese film "Nobody Knows," in which he plays the eldest of four sibling raised in isolation, who must take charge of the family when their mother leaves.

The directing and writing prizes went to French filmmakers. Tony Gatlif won the directing honor for "Exiles," his road-trip about a couple on a sensual journey from France to Algeria.

Agnes Jaoui and her romantic partner, Jean-Pierre Bacri, won the screenplay award for "Look at Me," their study in self-image centering on an overweight young woman who feels neglected by loved ones. Jaoui and Bacri also co-star.

Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Tropical Malady" -- widely regarded by Cannes audiences as a snoozer for its elongated scenes of a man wandering a jungle alone, with no dialogue -- won the festival's third-place jury prize.

Another jury prize went to Irma P. Hall for her role as an elderly Southern woman who foils a casino robbery in the Coen brothers' crime comedy "The Ladykillers," starring Tom Hanks as the heist's ringleader.

Keren Yedaya's "Or," about a Tel Aviv prostitute in failing health and her teenage daughter, won the Golden Camera award for best film by a first-time director. The U.S.-born Yedaya, who grew up in Israel, conducts lectures about the problems of prostitution for government officials and mental-health professionals.

abajan wrote:Interesting post and replies.

Just one small question: Has any of you actually seen Fahrenheit 9/11?

rainstorm wrote:hardly a surprise. the media is far leftist.

abajan wrote:

rainstorm wrote:hardly a surprise. the media is far leftist.

Hmm... That's true in many instances but on the other hand (speaking from the perspective of a non-American) I've never seen a more blatently Republican broadcaster than Fox News. (Unfair & Unbalanced!)

In frustration, many Americans (or so I understand) are turning to BBC World News to find out what's really going on in the world. Recently, I too have been tuning into BBC more and more (though I must admit it's a bit dry and I miss the lighthearted banter I get from the American channels).

BTW, I haven't seen Fahrenheit 9/11, so I can't comment on its merits or otherwise. If I do get a chance to view it I'll be sure to bear in mind that it was produced by an idiot!

abajan wrote:
In frustration, many Americans (or so I understand) are turning to BBC World News to find out what's really going on in the world. Recently, I too have been tuning into BBC more and more (though I must admit it's a bit dry and I miss the lighthearted banter I get from the American channels).

abajan wrote:...many Americans (or so I understand) are turning to BBC World News to find out what's really going on in the world...