Brit Ken Loach wins Palme d'Or at Cannes for welfare film

Britain’s Ken Loach has taken the Palme d’Or at Cannes for ‘I, Daniel Blake.’ The Palme d’Or (English: Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival.

British film director Ken Loach has won the #PalmedOr at this year’s #Cannes film Festival https://t.co/mmBpL9hnmN pic.twitter.com/sn1LeJMIud

— euronews (@euronews) May 23, 2016

It’s the director’s second Best Picture award at the French film festival. In 2006, he won with ‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley.’

His latest work looks at the UK welfare system and its impact on a widower after suffering a heart attack.

“What is special about Cannes, that it makes the film important. And you saw the presentation tonight. There were so passionate people, passionate about not only about films but films in medium of communicating something,” Loach said after receiving the award.

#Conference Ken Loach about his #Palmedor for I, Daniel Blake #Cannes2016
https://t.co/QhQzeIDut2

— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) May 22, 2016

Canadian director Xavier Dolan scooped one of the festival’s other top prizes, the Grand Prix, for ‘‘Just la Fin du Monde’‘ – Just the End of the World – while Iranian film Forushande – the Salesman – took best screenplay and best actor, won by Shahab Hosseini.

The full list of awards were as follows:

Palme d’Or
I, Daniel Blake, dir: Ken Loach

Grand Prize
Xavier Dolan, It’s Only The End Of The World

Best Director … a tie between Cristian Mungiu, Graduation and Olivier Assayas, Personal Shopper

Best Screenplay
Asghar Farhadi, The Salesman

Best Actress
Jaclyn Jose, Ma’Rosa

Jury Prize
American Honey, dir: Andrea Arnold

Best Actor
Shahab Hosseini, The Salesman

Palme d’Honneur
Jean-Pierre Léaud

Caméra d’Or
Divines, dir: Uda Benyamina

Short Film Palme d’Or
Timecode, dir: Juanjo Gimenez

Special Mention
The Girl Who Danced With The Devil, dir: Joao Paulo Miranda Maria

Euronews