The 77th Cannes Film Festival is finally underway and offers cinephiles the chance to see actors, industry professionals and enthusiasts gather for the world's most illustrious film event. The invitation-only annual festival, which takes place over a over a 12-day period in May, will be held at Palais des Festivals et des Congrès and will include a host of film screenings, parties and press conferences.
Not only is it the home of all of the best that the film industry has to offer, but it's also home to one of the world’s most famous red carpets, where stars such as the late Princess Diana, and models Bella Hadid and Naomi Campbell ensured that high octane glamour is ever-present.
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Between the gloss and allure of the red carpet, perhaps the most exciting part of the whole event is the awarding of the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm).
Since its inauguration, the award has been re-named, re-designed and become the cause of much discourse as a result of previous recipients. One thing that is widely agreed is that the Palme d'Or is one of the highest and most respected honours an individual in the film industry can receive during their career.
Here's a closer look at the significance and reputation of the legendary award and its past and present recipients:
Who designs the Palme d'Or?
An integral part of the the festival, the Palme d'Or is designed by Cannes' long-time luxury jewellery, watch and accessories partner, Chopard, who donate the trophy to the event, and have done since 1998.
The award itself is created in Switzerland, and hand-crafted Geneva workshops by no less than seven artisans. As it takes over 40 hours of work to finish, the award is considered an artistic masterpiece, and with good reason. The award's signature golden palm leaf is made of 24-carat-gold and affixed to a crystal cushion, which is sculpted to imitate the look of an emerald-cut diamond. However, crystals are never identical so each trophy differs from the one before, making the trophy highly unique.
To celebrate the 70th edition of Festival de Cannes in 2017, the trophy was re-created with a frosted effect, which included 167 diamonds.
Who has won a Palme d'Or award?
Originally named the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film prize, the trophy was first awarded to Cecil B. DeMille's Union Pacific back in 1939.
In 1955, the festival re-named the award and presented it to Delbert Mann for his film Marty. Since then, critically acclaimed films have continued to be pocket the prize. Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver won in 1976 and caused a stir in reaction to its dark and violent scenes, while Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction in 1994 was listed as a certified dark horse but won against all odds.
History-makers often find themselves surprised to win such a prestigious gong. In 2013, dirctor Abdellatif Kechiche won the award for his film Blue Is The Warmest Colour as did its lead stars Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos. And in 2019, Parasite became the first Korean film to be awarded the prize and the third film to win it alongside an Oscar for Best Picture.
This year, Meryl Streep will join a long list of actors to win the Honorary Palme d'Or, which is a non-competitive award given to both directors and actors who have, over the course of their career, achieved a remarkable body of work but have never won a competitive Palme d'Or. Previous winners of the honorary award include Clint Eastwood, Jane Fonda, Jodie Foster and Tom Cruise. George Lucas and the Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, will also be awarded the prize alongside Streep in 2024.
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