May 27, 2023 Turkish actress Merve Dizdar has won the Cannes Film Festival's best actress prize for her role in About Dry Grasses as a teacher in an isolated village. French director Justine Triet won the festival's Palme d'Or for best film on Saturday becoming only the third woman to hold the coveted title. Dizdar's character in Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan's film captures the interests of two village schoolteachers and challenges their cynicism. Dizdar, 36, has been starring in films and television since the early 2010s after studying acting and starting out in theatre. Previous roles have included some popular TV series in Turkey, including Wounded Love. Triet used her award speech to criticise how the protest against pension reforms in France “has been denied and repressed in a shocking way”. Triet won the prize with Anatomy of a Fall and beat some veteran directors including Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ken Loach and Wim Wenders, all of whom have at least one Palme d'Or under their belts. She co-wrote her Palme-winning film with her partner Arthur Harari, an actor and director. Presenting the Palme d'Or, Hollywood legend Jane Fonda recalled the first time she came to Cannes in 1963. The Grand Prix, the second-highest prize after the Palme d'Or, went to British director Jonathan Glazer's Zone of Interest about a family living next to Auschwitz. The prizes Palme d'Or: Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall Grand Prix: Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest Best director: Tran Anh Hung for The Pot-au-Feu Best actress: Merve Dizdar for About Dry Grasses Best actor: Koji Yakusho for Perfect Days Best screenplay: Yuji Sakamoto for Monster Jury prize: Aki Kaurismaki for Fallen Leaves Camera d'Or for best first film: Thien An Pham for Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell Best short film: Flora Anna Buda for 27
