Director Mungiu Wins Palme d'Or for 'Fjord'; Acting Awards See Double Winners

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu's drama "Fjord" (working title) won the Palme d'Or, the highest honor at the Cannes Film Festival, today. This is the second time Mungiu has received this honor, following his 2007 film "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days." According to Reuters, the film, starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, tells the story of a devout family that moves from Romania to the Norwegian countryside, leading to conflicts over values. The Grand Prix, the festival's second-highest award, went to Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev's "Minotaur," which focuses on a wife's infidelity. The Best Director award was shared by Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski for "Fatherland" and the Spanish directing duo "Los Javis" for their civil war epic "The Black Ball." This year, the most attention-grabbing aspect was the double winners for Best Actor and Best Actress. French actress Virginie Efira and Japanese actress Tao Okamoto, who starred in Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "All of a Sudden," shared the Best Actress award, both moved to tears on stage. Valentin Campagne and newcomer Emmanuel Macchia, stars of the Belgian WWI gay romance "Coward," also shared the Best Actor award. The Jury Prize was awarded to German director Valeska Grisebach for the Bulgarian archaeological drama "The Dreamed Adventure." American singer and actress Barbra Streisand, who could not attend due to a knee injury, was awarded the Honorary Palme d'Or for lifetime achievement, with French actress Isabelle Huppert accepting on her behalf. The 84-year-old Streisand addressed the audience via video, praising film for its ability to "bring people together."