[Dispatch=Reporter Jung Tae-yun] Director Na Hong-jin's "Hope" failed to cross the Cannes barrier. Following its premiere screening, it stirred critical acclaim worldwide, but ultimately did not make the jury's final selections.

The 79th Cannes Film Festival held its closing ceremony on the 23rd (local time) at the Lumière Auditorium in Cannes, France. Director Park Chan-wook served as jury president this year.

Nine jurors including American actress Demi Moore, Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård, Chinese director Chloé Zhao, and Belgian director Laura Wandel judged 22 films in the competition section.

The Palme d'Or went to "Fjord" by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu. Director Park Chan-wook announced the winner himself.

"Fjord" depicts the story of a Romanian-Norwegian couple who relocate to a remote village and clash with neighbors over child-rearing methods and religious issues.

This is Mungiu's second Palme d'Or. He previously stood in the same position in 2007 with "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."

He stated, "Cinema must talk about things that are important for understanding where the world is heading. Today's society is becoming divided and radicalized. This film is a commitment against all forms of extremism."

This year's competition section narrowed down to a three-way race between Pavel Pawlikowski's "Fatherland," Andrey Zvyagintsev's "Minotaur," and Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "All of a Sudden."

In Screen Daily's rankings, these three films also held top positions. Ultimately, all three received awards.

The Grand Prix went to "Minotaur" by Russian director Zvyagintsev. The Best Director award was shared by Pavel Pawlikowski for "Fatherland" and Spanish directing duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi for "La Bola Negra."

Best Actress was jointly awarded to Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto from "All of a Sudden." The two actresses attributed the honor to director Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

This year's Cannes showed a clear direction. Auteur-driven works that gaze into the human inner world demonstrated strength over grand narratives. Political context, historical wounds, and questions about existence emerged as key themes.

Director Na Hong-jin's "Hope" stood in the opposite direction of this trend. By twisting thriller grammar through sci-fi and creature elements, the film turned the festival upside down with its generic energy alone.

Yet there was no trophy. Analysis suggests it maintained some distance from the traditional lineage of Cannes-awarded works. Nevertheless, it left a strong imprint as the most intense genre film in this year's competition section.

Best Actor was jointly awarded to Emmanuel Makiah and Valentine Campagne from director Lucas Donts' "Coward."

Best Screenplay went to Emmanuel Marthe's "Notre Salut." The Jury Prize was awarded to German director Valeska Grisbach's "Das Getraumte Abenteuer."

Best First Feature Film (Caméra d'Or) was given to Marie-Clémantine Dusabemango for "Ben'imana." The Short Film Palme d'Or went to Federico Luis' "Para los Contrinantes."

<Photo source=Dispatch DB, Festival de Cannes>