Cannes’ “Un Certain Regard” Winners Announced

The 2013 Cannes Film Festival is drawing to a close, and the winners in the “Un Certain Regard” category have been announced. The top prize went to The Missing Picture an autobiographical documentary by French-Cambodian director Rithy Pahn. The documentary recounts Pahn’s adolescence in a Khmer Rouge labor camp. The film combines archival footage, clay figurine reenactments, and the director’s first person narration to tell about events including the deaths of Pahn’s parents, sister, and other relatives.

The “Un Certain Regard” portion of the Cannes competition slate was introduced in 1998 in an effort to recognize and encourage both young talent and works of particular innovation or daring. The prize also aids the winner with French distribution.

Other winners in the “Un Certain Regard” competition were as follows:

Jury Prize: Omar, dir. Hany Abu-Assad

Directing Prize: Stranger By the Lake, dir. Alain Guiraudie

A Certain Talent Prize: Ensemble cast of La Jaula de Oro, dir. Diego Quemada-Diez

Avenir Prize: Fruitville Station, dir. Ryan Coogler

This year’s jury for “Un Certain Regard” awarded more prizes than any other year but 2006, when the jury also awarded prizes to five films.