A historic achievement marked the closing of the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Actress Okamoto Tao became the first Japanese woman to win the prestigious Best Actress award, sharing the honor with Belgian actress Virginie Efira. Both were acclaimed for their brilliant performances in the feature film "All of a Sudden", by acclaimed Japanese director Hamaguchi Ryusuke.
The winners were announced last Saturday. Upon hearing their names, Okamoto and Efira celebrated the victory with a warm embrace, while a visibly moved Hamaguchi applauded them from the audience.
Taking the stage, Okamoto delivered a speech marked by humility, dedicating the win to the filmmaker. "The simple reason why an average actress from Japan, someone like me, is here today, is purely because of our incredible director," she stated. The actress praised Hamaguchi's writing and direction, highlighting that the "love and respect" he showed the cast and crew were the fuel that gave them the "energy to keep going".
Set in Paris, the plot of "All of a Sudden" sensitively follows the developing relationship between two women with nearly identical-sounding names: Marie-Lou, the director of a nursing home, and Mari, a Japanese theater director. The power of the film had already been proven during its official screening on May 15, when the audience praised it with a standing ovation that lasted around 14 minutes.
It is worth noting that Japanese cinema had a very strong presence in the race for the coveted Palme d'Or this year. In addition to Hamaguchi's work, the films "Sheep in the Box", by renowned director Koreeda Hirokazu, and "Nagi Notes", by Fukada Koji, also competed for the festival's top prize.
Source: NHK