I attended the Cannes Film Festival for the second time in 1985, for its 38th edition, held from May 8 to 20.
The prestigious Palme d’Or went to the When Father Was Away on Business by Emir Kusturica, who would become one of the few directors to have won two Palme d’Or prizes; the second was in 1995.
The festival opened and closed with two good movies: Witness, directed by Peter Weir, was the opening night, The Emerald Forest, directed by John Boorman, was the closer. While Witness was a commercial success, Emerlad was unfortunately a flop….
One of the highlights of the festival was a tribute to the American iconoc actor and star, screening a restored version of his 1954 film The Glenn Miller Story, directed by Anthony Mann and co-staring June Allyson.
In the packed press conference, Stewart defended Hitchcock, who directed him in such masterpieces as Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958). Stewart refused to talk about Hitchcock’s personal life, but denied any reports of abuse on the set, or flirting with his leading ladies, as was documented in some biographies.
Milos Forman, who won his second Directing Oscar for “Amadeus” a few months before the festival, served as president of the jury.
It was an easier, friendlier festival for me, compared to 1984, which was the equivalent of military basic training.
I benefited immensely from the fact that the French critic Michel Perez was on the grand jury, who offered tickets to the hottest parties on the Croisette.
Peronal highlight: I got to meet Catherine Denueve (more beautiful in person than on screen!) and Jeanne Moreau in person at a tribute held for French director Francois Truffaut, who died the year before of brain cancer, at the young age of 52.
Films in competition
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Country
Adieu Bonaparte
وداعا بونابرت
Youssef Chahine
Egypt
Birdy
Alan Parker
US
Bliss
Ray Lawrence
Australia
Chicken with Vinegar
Poulet au vinaigre
Claude Chabrol
France
The Coca-Cola Kid
Dušan Makavejev
Australia
Colonel Redl
Oberst Redl
István Szabó
Hungary
Derborence
Francis Reusser
Switzerland
Détective
Détective
Jean-Luc Godard
France
Farewell to the Ark
さらば箱舟
Shūji Terayama
Japan
Insignificance
Nicolas Roeg
UK
Joshua Then and Now
Ted Kotcheff
Canada
Kiss of the Spider Woman
O Beijo da Mulher Aranha
Héctor Babenco
Brazil
The Official Story
La historia oficial
Luis Puenzo
Argentina
Madman at War
Scemo di guerra
Dino Risi
Italy
Mask
Peter Bogdanovich
US
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Paul Schrader
US
Pale Rider
Clint Eastwood
US
Rendez-vous
André Téchiné
France
The Two Lives of Mattia Pascal
Le due vite di Mattia Pascal
Mario Monicelli
Italy
When Father Was Away on Business
Отац на службеном путу
Emir Kusturica
Yugoslavia
Un Certain Regard
A Private Function by Malcolm Mowbray
A.K. by Chris Marker
Ad Sof Halaylah by Eitan Green
Das Mal des Todes by Peter Handke
Dediščina by Matjaž Klopčič
Une femme en Afrique by Raymond Depardon
Himatsuri by Mitsuo Yanagimachi
Il diavolo sulle colline by Vittorio Cottafavi
Latino by Haskell Wexler
Le thé au harem d’Archimède by Mehdi Charef
Milyy, dorogoy, lyubimyy, edinstvennyy…by Dinara Asanova
Monsieur de Pourceaugnac by Michel Mitrani
Le mystère Alexina by René Féret
Oriana by Fina Torres
Padre nuestro by Francisco Regueiro
Tokyo-Ga by Wim Wenders
Films out of competition
Die Nacht by Hans-Jürgen Syberberg
Jumping by Osamu Tezuka
Le soulier de Satin by Manoel de Oliveira
Night Magic by Lewis Furey
Steaming by Joseph Losey
The Emerald Forest by John Boorman
The Glenn Miller Story by Anthony Mann
The Purple Rose of Cairo by Woody Allen
Witness by Peter Weir
Short film competition
L’anniversaire de Georges by Patrick Traon
Jenitba by Slav Bakalov and Rumen Petkov
Stop by Krzysztof Kiwerski
Tusagiby Bondo Shoshitaishvili
Jury
Miloš Forman (USA) (President)
Claude Imber (France) (Journalist)
Edwin Zbonek (Austria)
Francis Veber (France)
Jorge Amado (Brazil)
Mauro Bolognini (Italy)
Michel Perez (France)
Mo Rothmann (USA)
Néstor Almendros (Argentina)
Sarah Miles (UK)
Awards
Palme d’Or: When Father Was Away on Business by Emir Kusturica
Grand Prix: Birdy
Jury Prize: Colonel Redl
Best Actor: William Hurt for Kiss of the Spider Woman
Best Actress: Tie
Norma Aleandro for The Official Story and Cher for Mask
Best Director: André Téchiné for Rendez-vous
Short Film Palme d’Or: Jenitba by Slav Bakalov and Rumen Petkov
Best Artistic Contribution: John Bailey (cinematographer), Eiko Ishioka (production designer/costume designer) and Philip Glass (composer) for Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Technical Grand Prize: Insignificance by Nicolas Roeg
Caméra d’Or: Oriana by Fina Torres
Perspectives du Cinéma Award: Visage de chien by Jacek Gasiorowski
FIPRESCI Prize:
Otac na sluzbenom putu by Emir Kusturica
The Purple Rose of Cairo by Woody Allen
Visages de femmesby Desiré Ecaré
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury: La historia oficial
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury – Special Mention: Le temps d’un instant
FIFA Award: Extended Play by David Casci
Award of the Youth:
Foreign Film: Dance with a Stranger by Mike Newell
French Film: Le thé au harem d’Archimède by Mehdi Charef
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