9. Cronenberg Takes Charge (1999)
What happened? Fearsomely bleak and intellectual director David Cronenberg is invited to head the jury for the 1999 festival. Sad films win the top prizes.
Why it’s great: Crononberg’s jury awarded the Palme D’or to Belgian drama Rosetta, about a teenage girl living in a trailer park with an alcoholic mother, and the Grand Prize to the nearly unwatchably unhappy Humanité about the rape and murder of a young girl. Brilliant because it shows that artists and creative thinkers still have a big influence over the festival. But also: wow. Just wow.
8. Borat’s Bikini (2006)
What happened? Shameless star Sascha Baron Cohen took to the beach as character Borat in a lime-green elastic band, just big enough to cover his testicles.
Why it’s great: The stunt was a brilliant play on the usual Cannes headline-grabbing and bikini glamour, and earned the Borat movie massive coverage as the eye-searing image spread across the web like hairy-backed wildfire.
Comments