The 34th

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

was held from 13 to 27 May

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

. The

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

went to the ''

Człowiek z żelaza ''Man of Iron'' ( pl, Człowiek z żelaza) is a 1981 film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It depicts the Solidarity labour movement and its first success in persuading the Polish government to recognize the workers' right to an independent union. Th ...

'' by

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...

. The festival opened with '' Three Brothers'' (''Tre fratelli'') by

Francesco Rosi Francesco Rosi (; 15 November 1922 – 10 January 2015) was an Italian film director. His film '' The Mattei Affair'' won the Palme d'Or at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival. Rosi's films, especially those of the 1960s and 1970s, often appeared to ha ...

and closed with '' Honeysuckle Rose'', directed by

Jerry Schatzberg Jerry Schatzberg (born June 26, 1927) is an American photographer and film director. Career Schatzberg was born to a Jewish family of furriers and grew up in the Bronx. He photographed for magazines such as ''Vogue'', '' Esquire'' and '' McCalls ...

Jury

The following people were appointed as the Jury of the 1981 feature film competition: Feature films *

Jacques Deray Jacques Deray (born Jacques Desrayaud; 19 February 1929 – 9 August 2003) was a French film director and screenwriter. Deray is prominently known for directing many crime and thriller films. Biography Born Jacques Desrayaud in Lyon, France, in ...

(France) Jury President *

Ellen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complicated women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Em ...

(USA) * Jean-Claude Carrière (France) *

Robert Chazal Robert Chazal (3 September 1912 – 12 April 2002),Carlos Diegues Carlos Diegues, also known as Cacá Diegues (born May 19, 1940), is a Brazilian film director. He was born in Maceió, Alagoas, and is best known as a member of the Cinema Novo Cinema Novo (), "New Cinema" in English, is a genre and movement o ...

(Brazil) *

Antonio Gala Antonio Gala Velasco (born 2 October 1930) is a Spanish poet, playwright, novelist and writer. Life and career Gala was born in Brazatortas, Ciudad Real ( Castile-La Mancha), although he moved very soon to Córdoba and is widely considered an ...

(Spain) *

Andrey Petrov Andrey Pavlovich Petrov (russian: Андре́й Па́влович Петро́в; September 2, 1930 – February 15, 2006) was a Soviet and Russian composer. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1980. Andrey Petrov is known for his mus ...

(Soviet Union) *

Douglas Slocombe Ralph Douglas Vladimir SlocombeDuncan Petrie, "Slocombe, (Ralph) Douglas Vladimir (1913–2016)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 202available online Retrieved 8 July 2020. OBE, BSC, ASC, GBCT (10 Feb ...

(UK)

Official selection

In competition - Feature film

The following feature films competed for the Palme d'Or: *'' Angels of Iron'' by

Thomas Brasch Thomas Brasch (19 February 1945 – 3 November 2001) was a German author, poet and film director. Life Born in Westow, Yorkshire, England, Thomas Brasch was the son of German Jewish Communist émigré parents. In 1947, the family returned to Ea ...

*''

Beau-père ''Beau Pere'' (french: Beau-père), also known as ''Stepfather'', is a 1981 French comedy-drama film directed by Bertrand Blier, based on his novel of the same name. It stars Patrick Dewaere, Ariel Besse and Maurice Ronet and is about a 30-year-o ...

'' by

Bertrand Blier Bertrand Blier (; born 14 March 1939) is a French film director and writer. His 1978 film '' Get Out Your Handkerchiefs'' won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards. He is the son of famous French actor Bern ...

*''

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell ...

'' by

Hugh Hudson Hugh Hudson (born 25 August 1936) is an English film director. He was among a generation of British directors who would begin their career making documentaries and television commercials before going on to have success in films. He directed the ...

*'' Cserepek'' by István Gaál *''

Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...

'' by John Boorman *'' Faktas'' by Almantas Grikevičius *''

Flame Top ''Flame Top'' ( fi, Tulipää) is a 1980 Finnish drama film directed by Pirjo Honkasalo and Pekka Lehto. It was entered into the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. The film depicts the life of the writer Algot Untola. The film was selected as the Finnis ...

'' by

Pirjo Honkasalo Pirjo Irene Honkasalo (born 22 February 1947) is a Finnish film director who has also worked as a cinematographer, film editor, producer, screenwriter and actress. In 1980 she co-directed ''Flame Top'' with Pekka Lehto, with whom she worked ea ...

, Pekka Lehto *'' Heaven's Gate'' by

Michael Cimino Michael Antonio Cimino ( ; February 3, 1939 – July 2, 2016) was an American filmmaker. One of the " New Hollywood" directors, Cimino achieved fame with ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Bes ...

*'' Light Years Away'' by Alain Tanner *''

Looks and Smiles ''Looks and Smiles'' is a 1981 British drama film directed by Ken Loach. It is based on the novel of the same name, written by Barry Hines. The film was entered into the 1981 Cannes Film Festival, where Loach won the Young Cinema Award. The film ...

'' by

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...

*''

Man of Iron ''Man of Iron'' ( pl, Człowiek z żelaza) is a 1981 film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It depicts the Solidarity labour movement and its first success in persuading the Polish government to recognize the workers' right to an independent union. Th ...

'' by

*''

Mephisto Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition. Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Méphisto'', a 1931 French film * Mephisto (1981 film), ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a German- ...

'' by

István Szabó István Szabó (; born 18 February 1938) is a Hungarian film director, screenwriter, and opera director. Szabó is one of the most notable Hungarian filmmakers and one who has been best known outside the Hungarian-speaking world since the ...

*''

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Dušan Makavejev Dušan Makavejev ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Макавејев, ; 13 October 1932 – 25 January 2019) was a Serbian film director and screenwriter, famous for his groundbreaking films of Yugoslav cinema in the late 1960s and early 1970s—many of wh ...

*'' National Heritage'' by

Luis García Berlanga Luis García-Berlanga Martí (12 June 1921 – 13 November 2010) was a Spanish film director and screenwriter. Acclaimed as a pioneer of modern Spanish cinema, his films are marked by social satire and acerbic critiques of Spanish culture under t ...

*'' Neige'' by

Juliet Berto Juliet Berto (16 January 1947 – 10 January 1990), born Annie Jamet, was a French actress, director and screenwriter. A member of the same loose group of student radicals as Anne Wiazemsky, she first appeared in Jean-Luc Godard's ''Two or Three ...

*''

Passion of Love ''Passion of Love'' ( it, Passione d'amore) is a 1981 Italian drama film directed by Ettore Scola and was adapted from the 1869 novel '' Fosca'' by Iginio Ugo Tarchetti. The film was entered into the 1981 Cannes Film Festival and served as the ...

'' by Ettore Scola *'' Possession'' by

Andrzej Żuławski Andrzej Żuławski (; 22 November 1940 – 17 February 2016) was a Polish film director and writer. Żuławski often went against mainstream commercialism in his films, and enjoyed success mostly with European art-house audiences. In the late 1 ...

*'' Quartet'' by

James Ivory James Francis Ivory (born June 7, 1928) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. For many years, he worked extensively with Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant, his domestic as well as professional partner, and with scree ...

*'' The Skin'' by

Liliana Cavani Liliana Cavani (born 12 January 1933, Carpi, Italy) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. She belongs to a generation of Italian filmmakers from Emilia-Romagna that came into prominence in the 1970s, including Bernardo Bertolucci, Pier P ...

*''

Thief Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

'' by

Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American director, screenwriter, and producer of film and television who is best known for his distinctive style of crime drama. His most acclaimed works include the films ''Thief'' (1981), ...

*''

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man ''Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man'' ( it, La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo) is a 1981 Italian film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. It stars Anouk Aimée and Ugo Tognazzi, who was awarded the Best Male Actor Award at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival for ...

'' by

Bernardo Bertolucci Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in Italian cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved international ...

*''

Les Uns et les Autres ''Les Uns et les Autres'' is a 1981 French film by Claude Lelouch. The film is a musical epic and it is widely considered as the director's best work, along with '' Un Homme et une Femme''. It won the Technical Grand Prize at the 1984 Cannes Film ...

'' by

Claude Lelouch Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish Family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1960s. Lelouch gained criti ...

Un Certain Regard

The following films were selected for the competition of

Un Certain Regard (, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films w ...

: *'' ...And God Created Them'' by

Jacobo Morales Jacobo Morales (born 12 November 1934) is a Puerto Rican actor, poet, writer, playwright, filmmaker, and auteur.Arising from the Surface'' by

Mani Kaul Mani Kaul (25 December 1944 – 6 July 2011) was an Indian director of Hindi films and a reputed figure in Indian parallel cinema. He graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) where he was a student of Ritwik Ghatak and ...

*''

The Big Night Bathe ''The Big Night Bathe'' ( bg, Голямото нощно къпане, translit. Golyamoto noshtno kapane) is a 1980 Bulgarian drama film directed by Binka Zhelyazkova. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1981 Cannes F ...

'' by

Binka Zhelyazkova Binka Zhelyazkova ( bg, Бинка Желязкова, 15 July 1923 – 31 July 2011), was a Bulgarian film director who made films between the late 1950s and the 1990s. She was the first Bulgarian woman to direct a feature film and one of t ...

*''

Cerromaior ''Cerromaior'' is a 1981 Portuguese drama film directed by Luís Filipe Rocha. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival, and was awarded the ''Colón de Oro'' at the Festival de Cine Iberoamericano de H ...

'' by

Luís Filipe Rocha Luís Filipe Rocha (born 16 November 1947) is a Portuguese film director, screenwriter and actor. He has directed ten films since 1976. His film '' Cerromaior'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. F ...

*'' Eijanaika'' by Shohei Imamura *'' I Love You'' by

Arnaldo Jabor Arnaldo Jabor (12 December 1940 – 15 February 2022) was a Brazilian film director and producer, screenwriter, writer, journalist and political pundit for Brazilian television network Rede Globo. Biography He was of jewish lebanese descent an ...

*''

Let There Be Light "Let there be light" is an English translation of the biblical Hebrew , Hebrew (''yehi 'or'') found in Genesis 1:3 of the Torah, the first part of the Hebrew Bible. In Old Testament translations of the phrase, translations include the Greek l ...

'' by John Huston *'' Memoirs of a Survivor'' by David Gladwell *''

Un moment de bonheur The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...

'' by

Yves Laumet Yves may refer to: * Yves, Charente-Maritime, a commune of the Charente-Maritime department in France * Yves (given name), including a list of people with the name * ''Yves'' (single album), a single album by Loona * ''Yves'' (film), a 2019 Fren ...

*'' Mur Murs'' by Agnès Varda *''

A Thousand Little Kisses ''A Thousand Little Kisses'' ( he, אלף נשיקות קטנות, translit. Elef Nishikot K'tanot) is a 1981 Israeli drama film written and directed by Mira Recanati. The film was selected as the Israeli entry for the Best Foreign Languag ...

'' by

Mira Recanati Mira (), designation Omicron Ceti (ο Ceti, abbreviated Omicron Cet, ο Cet), is a red-giant star estimated to be 200–400 light-years from the Sun in the constellation Cetus. ο Ceti is a binary stellar system, consisting of a vari ...

*'' The Witness'' by

Péter Bacsó Péter Bacsó (6 January 1928 – 11 March 2009) was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. After high school graduation Bacsó wanted to become an actor and later a theatre director, but ultimately decided to try filmmaking. His fir ...

*''

Who's That Singing Over There ''Who's Singin' Over There?'' ( sh, Ko to tamo peva) is a 1980 Cinema of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav film written by Dušan Kovačević and directed by Slobodan Šijan. It is a dark comedy and features an ensemble cast. The film tells a story about a gro ...

'' by

Slobodan Šijan Slobodan Šijan ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан Шијан, ; born November 16, 1946) is a Serbian film director. Biography Šijan was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He graduated from the Fine Arts Academy in Belgrade, and then enrolled in Belgrade's ...

*'' You Love Only Once'' by Rajko Grlić

Films out of competition

The following films were selected to be screened out of competition: *'' Anima – Symphonie phantastique'' by Titus Leber *''

Blood Wedding ''Blood Wedding'' ( es, link=no, Bodas de sangre) is a tragedy by Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1932 and first performed at Teatro Beatriz in Madrid in March 1933, then later that year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...

'' by

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (born 4 January 1932) is a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. He has a long and prolific career t ...

*'' From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China'' by

Murray Lerner Murray Lerner (May 8, 1927 – September 2, 2017) was an American documentary and experimental film director and producer. Career Lerner was born May 8, 1927, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Nacham and Goldie (Levine) Lerner. Murray's fat ...

*'' Hands Up!'' by

Jerzy Skolimowski Jerzy Skolimowski (, born 5 May 1938) is a Polish film director, screenwriter, dramatist and actor. A graduate of the prestigious National Film School in Łódź, Skolimowski has directed more than twenty films since his 1960 début ''Oko wyk ...

*''

Havoc in Heaven ''Havoc in Heaven'', also translated as ''Uproar in Heaven'', is a Chinese donghua feature film directed by Wan Laiming and produced by all four of the Wan brothers. The film was created at the height of the Chinese animation industry in the 196 ...

'' by

Wan Laiming Wan Laiming (; 18 January 1900 – 7 October 1997) was born in Nanjing, Qing dynasty. He was one of the Wan brothers who pioneered the Chinese animation industry, and is commonly considered as China's first animator. As the director of the Sha ...

*'' Honeysuckle Rose'' by

*'' La Mouche'' by Ferenc Rofusz *'' The Postman Always Rings Twice'' by

Bob Rafelson Robert Jay Rafelson (February 21, 1933 – July 23, 2022) was an American film director, writer, and producer. He is regarded as one of the key figures in the founding of the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s. Among his best-known films as a ...

*'' Street Angel'' by Mu-jih Yuan *''

This Is Elvis ''This Is Elvis'' is a 1981 American documentary film about the life of Elvis Presley, written and directed by Andrew Solt and Malcolm Leo. It combines archival footage with reenactments, and voice-over narration by pop singer Ral Donner, imitat ...

'' by

Malcolm Leo Malcolm Leo is an American film director and producer best known for directing documentaries about Elvis Presley (''This Is Elvis''), about The Beach Boys ('' The Beach Boys: An American Band'') and about some of the important figures in the histor ...

Andrew Solt Andrew Solt (born 13 December 1947) is a British-born American producer, director, and writer of documentary films. Solt has had a long career in television. A frequent focus of his documentaries is rock and roll music, its history and star pe ...

*'' Three Brothers'' by

*''

Troubled Laughter ''Troubled Laughter'' is a 1979 Chinese drama film directed by Yang Yanjin and Deng Yimin, set in the Cultural Revolution. The film stars Li Zhiyu as Fu Bin, a powerless newspaper writer who struggles with his conscience during an age of pervasi ...

'' by Yimin Deng,

Yanjin Yang Yanjin may refer to the following locations: *Yanjin County, Henan (), under the administration of Xinxiang, Henan, China *Yanjin County, Yunnan Yanjin County () is located in the northeast of Yunnan Province, China, bordering Sichuan Province t ...

Short film competition

The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or: *''Alephah'' by Gérald Frydman *''André Derain, thèmes et variations'' by François Porcile *''Dilemma'' by

John Halas John Halas (born János Halász;Brian McFarlane ''The Encyclopedia of British Film'', London: Methuen/BFI, 2003, p.48 16 April 1912 – 21 January 1995) was a pioneering British animator. Together with Gyula Macskássy (an acquaintance from Sá ...

*''Diskzokej'' by

Jiří Barta Jiří Barta (born 26 November 1948) is a Czech stop-motion animation director. Many of his films use wood as a medium for animation. Among his notable films are the 1986 film ''The Pied Piper''. In 2007 he released his first computer-animated ...

*''Král a skritek'' by

Lubomír Beneš Lubomír Beneš (7 November 1935, Prague – 12 September 1995, Roztoky) was a Czech animator, director, and author, best known as the co-creator of ''Pat & Mat'', an animated series about two highly inventive, yet incredibly clumsy handymen neigh ...

*''Manövergäste'' by G. Nicolas Hayek *''Maskirani razbojnik'' by Petar Lalovic *'' Moto Perpetuo'' by Béla Vajda *''Ne me parlez plus jamais d'amour'' by Sylvain Madigan *'' Le Rat'' by Elisabeth Huppert *''Ravnovesie'' by Boiko Kanev *''Trcanje'' by Dusko Sevo *'' Zea'' by André Leduc

Parallel sections

International Critics' Week

The following feature films were screened for the 20th

International Critics' Week The International Critics' Week (french: Semaine de la Critique) was founded in 1962 and is organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics. It was created following the showing of '' The Connection'' directed by Shirley Clarke which had been ...

(20e Semaine de la Critique): *'' She Dances Alone'' by Robert Dornhelm *''

The Moth The Moth is a non-profit group based in New York City dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. Founded in 1997, the organization presents a wide range of theme-based storytelling events across the United States and abroad, often featuring ...

'' by

Tomasz Zygadlo Tomasz is a Polish given name, the equivalent of Thomas in English. Notable people with the given name include: * Tomasz Adamek (born 1976), Polish heavyweight boxer *Tomasz Arciszewski (1877–1955), Polish socialist politician and Prime Mini ...

*'' Fil, fond, fosfor'' by Philippe Nahoun *''

Kill Hitler Kill often refers to: *Homicide, one human killing another *cause death, to kill a living organism, to cause its death Kill may also refer to: Media *''Kill!'', a 1968 film directed by Kihachi Okamoto *Kill (Cannibal Corpse album), ''Kill'' (Ca ...

'' by

Villi Hermann Villi Hermann (born 1941) is a Swiss film director and screenwriter. His 1981 film ''The Homeless One'' was entered into the 13th Moscow International Film Festival. His 1989 film ''Bankomatt'' - with actor Bruno Ganz in the leading role - was ...

Niklaus Meienberg Niklaus Meienberg (11 May 1940 – 22 September 1993) was a Swiss writer and investigative journalist. Meienberg lived in Zürich and published 14 books in his lifetime. His works were primarily about recent Swiss history. His texts are used ...

, Hans Stürm *' by

Jeanine Meerapfel Jeanine Meerapfel (born 14 June 1943) is a German-Argentine film director and screenwriter. She has directed twenty films since 1966. In 1984, she was a member of the jury at the 34th Berlin International Film Festival. She was born in 1943, in ...

*'' Fertile Memory'' by Michel Khleifi *'' Le Chapeau malheureux'' by

Maria Sos Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...

Directors' Fortnight

The following films were screened for the 1981

Directors' Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festiv ...

(Quinzaine des Réalizateurs): *'' Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai'' by

Saeed Akhtar Mirza Saeed Akhtar Mirza (born 30 June 1943) is an Indian screenwriter and director in Hindi films and television. He is the maker of notable parallel films such as '' Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!'' (1984), ''Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai'' (1980), ...

*'' Alligator Shoes'' by

Clay Borris Clay Borris (born March 31, 1950) is a Canadian film and television director and screenwriter."Cabbagetown kid makes good". ''The Globe and Mail'', May 18, 1981. He is most noted for his 1981 film '' Alligator Shoes'', for which he was a shortliste ...

*''

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...

'' by

David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series '' Kung Fu'', playi ...

*''

Act of Violence ''Act of Violence'' is a 1949 American film noir starring Van Heflin, Robert Ryan and featuring Janet Leigh, Mary Astor and Phyllis Thaxter. Directed by Fred Zinnemann and adapted for the screen by Robert L. Richards from a story by Collier Yo ...

'' by Eduardo Escorel *'' Beddegama'' by

Lester James Peries Sri Lankabhimanya Lester James Peries ( Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය ලෙස්ටර් ජේම්ස් පීරිස්; 5 April 1919 – 29 April 2018) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, a ...

*'' Bolivar, Sinfonia Tropical'' by Diego Rísquez *'' Bona'' by

Lino Brocka Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. He co-founded the organization Concerned Ar ...

*'' Chakra, Vicious Circle'' by Rabindra Dharmaraj *''

Conversa Acabada A ''converso'' (; ; feminine form ''conversa''), "convert", () was a Jew who converted to Catholic Church, Catholicism in Spain or Portugal, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries, or one of his or her descendants. To safeguard the ...

'' by

João Botelho João Manuel Relvas Leopoldo Botelho (born 1949) is a Portuguese film director. He has directed and written the screenplays of numerous films. His films have won several awards. His works have been nominated for the Venice Film Festival's Golde ...

*''

Desperado City ''Desperado City'' is a 1981 West German drama film written and directed by Vadim Glowna. It won the Caméra d'Or at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. The film takes place in Hamburg. Skoda ( Siemen Rühaak) is a former student from a rich family. ...

'' by

Vadim Glowna Vadim Glowna (; 26 September 1941 – 24 January 2012) was a German actor and film director. Since 1964 he appeared in more than 150 films and television shows. He directed the 1983 film ''Dies rigorose Leben'', which won an Honourable Ment ...

*'' No Mercy, No Future'' by

Helma Sanders-Brahms Helma Sanders-Brahms (20 November 1940 – 27 May 2014) was a German film director, screenwriter and producer. Biography Helma Sanders was born on 20 November 1940 in Emden, Germany. She attended a school for acting in Hannover from 1960 to 1 ...

*'' Francisca'' by Manoel De Oliveira *'' The Vulture'' by Yaky Yosha *'' The Mark of the Beast'' by

Pieter Verhoeff Pieter Verhoeff (4 February 1938 – 17 April 2019) was a Dutch film director. He studied at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy and graduated in 1966. He is known for his films '' The Mark of the Beast'', '' The Dream'' and '' The Movin ...

*'' In Defense of People'' by Rafigh Pooya *'' Fruits of Passion'' by Shuji Terayama *'' The Plouffe Family'' by

Gilles Carle Gilles Carle, (July 31, 1928As fully funny, Carle had pleasure to always give himself one year less, and to let people think wrongly that he was born in 1929, "The Year of the Big World Crash": see on the Quebec French newspapers that many writer ...

*'' Memorias Do Medo'' by Alberto Graça *''

Narcissus and Psyche ''Narcissus and Psyche'' ( hu, Nárcisz és Psyché) is a 1980 Hungarian drama film directed by Gábor Bódy. It was adapted for the screen by Vilmos Csaplar from a Sándor Weöres novel. The film stars Patricia Adriani, Udo Kier, György Cserha ...

'' by

Gábor Bódy Gábor Bódy (30 August 1946 – 24 October 1985) was a Hungarian film director, screenwriter, theoretic, and occasional actor. A pioneer of experimental filmmaking and film language, Bódy is one of the most important figures of Hungarian cine ...

*''

Seuls ''Seuls'' is a Franco-Belgian fantasy adventure children's comic book series written by Fabien Vehlmann and drawn by Bruno Gazzotti for Spirou Magazine. It centers on the adventures of five children who must fend for themselves in a mysterious w ...

'' by

Francis Reusser Francis Reusser (1 December 1942 – 10 April 2020) was a Swiss film director. He directed thirteen films since 1968. His film '' Derborence'' was entered into the 1985 Cannes Film Festival. Reusser died on 10 April 2020 after a long illness. ...

*'' Tell Me A Riddle'' by

Lee Grant Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. She made her film debut in 1951 as a young shoplifter in William Wyler's ''Detective Story'', co-starring Kirk Dougl ...

*'' Wizja lokalna 1901'' by

Filip Bajon Filip Michał Bajon (born 25 August 1947) is a Polish film director and screenwriter. Selected filmography References External links * 1947 births Living people Film people from Poznań Polish film directors Polish screenwriters ...

:Short films * ''Evolution'' by Sheila Graber * ''Face To Face'' by Sheila Graber * ''Le Miroir Vivant'' by Eunice Hutchins, Norbert Barnich * ''Michelangelo'' by Sheila Graber * ''Music For Film'' by Jean-Claude Wouters * ''Pour Trois Minutes De Gloire'' by Jean-Claude Bronckart * ''T.V.O.'' by Carlos Castillo * ''The Electric Disco Chicken'' by Bob Goodness * ''Tous Les Garcons'' by Yves Laberge * ''Tre Per Eccesso'' by Giampierro Vinciguerra * ''Uno Para Todos, Todos Para Todos'' by Carlos Castillo

Awards

Andrzej Wajda OFF Plus Camera 2012 (cropped)

Official awards

The following films and people received the 1981 awards: *

: ''

'' by

* Grand Prix: '' Les Années lumière'' by Alain Tanner * Best Screenplay:

for ''

'' *

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...

Isabelle Adjani Isabelle Yasmina Adjani ; born 27 June 1955) is a French actress and singer of Algerian and German descent. She is the only performer in history to win five César Awards for acting; she won the Best Actress award for '' Possession'' (1981), '' ...

for '' Quartet'' and '' Possession'' * Best Actor:

Ugo Tognazzi Ugo Tognazzi (23 March 1922 – 27 October 1990) was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. Early life Tognazzi was born in Cremona, in northern Italy but spent his youth in various localities as his father was a travelling clerk fo ...

for '' La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo'' *Best Supporting Actress: Yelena Solovey for '' Faktas'' *Best Supporting Actor:

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor who was knighted in 1998 for his contributions to theatre and film. Beginning his career on the British stage as a standout member of the Royal Shakespeare Company ...

for ''

'' *Best Artistic Contribution: ''

'' by John Boorman Golden Camera *

Caméra d'Or The Caméra d'Or ("''Golden Camera''") is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections (Official Selection, Directors' Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des ...

: ''

'' by

Short films * Short Film Palme d'Or: '' Moto Perpetuo'' by Béla Vajda *Jury Prize: '' Le Rat'' by Elisabeth Huppert & '' Zea'' by André Leduc

Independent awards

FIPRESCI Prizes *' by

(International Critics' Week) *''

'' by

(In competition) Commission Supérieure Technique * Technical Grand Prize: ''

'' for the sound quality Ecumenical Jury *

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (french: Prix du Jury Œcuménique) is an independent film award for feature length films shown at major international film festivals since 1973. The award was created by Christian film makers, film critics and ot ...

: ''

'' (''Człowiek z żelaza'') by

* Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention: ''

'' by

& ''

'' by

Young Cinema Award *''

'' by

*'' Neige'' by

and Jean-Henri Roger

References

Media

INA: The parallel festival, Cannes 1981
(commentary in French)

(in French)

External links

(web.archive)
Official website Retrospective 1981

Cannes Film Festival:1981
at

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

{{Cannes Film Festival

Cannes Film Festival

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...