Second Palme d’Or for Mungiu and multiple ties
The ceremony saw the triumph of Fjord by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, who took home his second Palme d’Or — the first came in 2007 with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days — thanks to a film that explores integration and cultural tensions in contemporary Scandinavia.
The jury, chaired by acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook, delivered a uniquely remarkable palmarès, leaving an indelible mark on the Festival’s history with no fewer than three tied awards: directing, actor and actress categories. More specifically:
- The Grand Prix was awarded to Minotaur by Russian dissident director Andreï Zvyagintsev;
- The Best Director award was shared by Spanish filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi for La Bola Negra, and Polish director Paweł Pawlikowski for Fatherland;
- Best Actress was awarded ex aequo to Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for All of a Sudden by Ryusuke Hamaguchi;
- Best Actor was awarded ex aequo to Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne for Coward by Lukas Dhont.
A Festival marked by politics, auteur cinema and notable absences
Among the most significant moments of the closing ceremony was the tribute to Barbra Streisand, who received the honorary Palme d’Or. Celebrating the star on stage — who was unable to attend due to an injury — was Isabelle Huppert, who praised the American artist’s contribution to cinema and contemporary culture. During her speech, she also spoke about Yentl, directed by and starring Streisand, describing it as a revolutionary film about desire and female freedom.
The closing night once again confirmed the political and socially conscious tone that permeated the entire Festival, marked by repeated references to tolerance, war and the need to defend cinema’s cultural role. Mungiu himself, while accepting the Palme d’Or, spoke about “radicalized societies” and the necessity of reflecting on the social changes currently unfolding.
Cannes 2026 also featured a less Hollywood-oriented atmosphere than in previous editions, placing greater emphasis on international auteur cinema. The American presence was therefore more restrained, while European and Asian productions dominated the spotlight. One only needs to look at the composition of the jury — which included figures such as Park Chan-Wook, Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao and Stellan Skarsgård — to understand the more refined and less mainstream character of the ceremony.
The complete absence of Italian cinema from the main competitive sections left a bitter taste, and for the eighth consecutive year no Italian film secured a place in competition. The last Italian winner of the Palme d’Or was Nanni Moretti back in 2001 with The Son’s Room. A significant void that highlights how Italian cinema has struggled — especially in recent years — to position itself within the world’s major international festivals.
Cinema as collective memory and political expression
The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival also sought to celebrate cinema as a form of collective memory. The Festival’s official poster was dedicated to Thelma & Louise by Ridley Scott, a choice many critics interpreted as a tribute to female freedom and to the great American cinema of the 1990s.
Equally unforgettable was the presence of Peter Jackson, who received an honorary Palme d’Or during the opening ceremony and took part in a widely attended masterclass focused on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the future of cinema and even the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
Ultimately, Cannes 2026 proved to be an elegant, deeply cinephile edition shaped by political and social themes. Perhaps less glamorous than usual, but far more focused on the cultural value of cinema and on the role of filmmakers in an era marked by international crises, polarization and industrial transformation.
Andrea Peluchi