Despite the fact that marginal filmmaker David Lynch led the jury, "harmonious", "classic" and "democratic" were a few of the adjectives used to qualify the 55th edition of the Festival de Cannes. The critics were highly enthusiastic about Aki Kaurismaki's more original The Man Without a Past - which picked up second place, the Grand Jury Prize - yet the jury preferred to crown Roman Polanski's The Pianist, a more conventional movie marking the first time the 68-year old Polish director was present in the Competition Selection at Cannes. more

"I could have been a manual worker," states Belgian actor Olivier Gourmet, who grew up on a farm and does carpentry when he is not making films. Back in 1996, hyperactive thespian Olivier Gourmet took an auspicious movie start in Jean Pierre and Luc Dardenne's La Promesse. After the Palme d'Or winning Rosetta, Gourmet gets his fidelity rewarded with Best Actor for The Son. In this Cannes interview, Olivier Gourmet takes us by the hand into the little secrets of his collaboration with the Dardenne wizards. more

Respiro (Grazia's Island) is a beautiful love and community story set in the deep Mediterranean south, where stifling traditions and individual impulses continue to clash, often leading to tragedy. For the character of this woman, Crialese's producer Domenico Procacci (three films in Cannes 2002, including Respiro) decided to go for Valeria Golino, an actress known for commercial films like Hot Shots! and Rain Man but who has also always abided by arthouse productions (Slaughter of the Cock, The Pear Tree) throughout her career. more