The 59th Cannes Film Festival was held from 17 to 28 May 2006. Chinese filmmaker Wong Kar-wai served as jury president for the main competition, becoming the first Chinese person to do so. English filmmaker Ken Loach won the Palme d'Or for the war drama film The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
The official poster for the festival features a still image from the Wong Kar-wai's 2000 film In the Mood for Love, which won the Best Actor award at the 53rd edition.
The festival opening film was The Da Vinci Code directed by Ron Howard. While Transylvania by Tony Gatlif was the closing film.
This edition also marked the first time in three years that no American film, actor, actress, or filmmaker won any awards in Cannes.
Juries Main competition
Wong Kar-wai, Hong Kong filmmaker - Jury President Monica Bellucci, Italian actress Helena Bonham Carter, British actress Samuel L. Jackson, American actor Patrice Leconte, French actor, director and screenwriter Lucrecia Martel, Argentinian filmmaker Tim Roth, British actor Elia Suleiman, Palestinian filmmaker Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress
Un Certain Regard Monte Hellman, American director - Jury President Lars-Olav Beier, German critic Maurizio Cabonat, Italian critic Jean-Pierre Lavoignat, French critic Marjane Satrapi, Iranian author Laura Winters, American critic
Cinéfondation and Short Films Competition Andrei Konchalovsky, Russian filmmaker - Jury President Sandrine Bonnaire, French actress Daniel Brühl, German actor Tim Burton, American filmmaker Souleymane Cissé, Malian filmmaker Zbigniew Preisner, Polish composer
Camera d'Or Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Belgian filmmaker - Jury Co-President Luc Dardenne, Belgian filmmaker - Jury Co-President Natacha Laurent, French director of the cinémathèque of Toulouse Frédéric Maire, Swiss president of Locarno Festival Luiz Carlos Merten, Brazilian critic Jean-Pierre Neyrac, French technician Alain Riou, French critic Jean-Paul Salomé, French director Jean-Louis Vialard, French cinematographer
Official Selection In Competition The following feature films competed for the Palme d'Or: English title Original title Director(s) Production CountryBabel Alejandro González Iñárritu United States, Mexico, Morocco, France The CaimanIl caimano Nanni Moretti Italy Charlie SaysSelon Charlie Nicole Garcia France Chronicle of an EscapeCrónica de una fuga Israel Adrián Caetano Argentina Climatesİklimler Nuri Bilge Ceylan Turkey Colossal YouthJuventude em Marcha Pedro Costa Portugal Days of GloryIndigènes Rachid Bouchareb France, Morocco, Belgium, Algeria The Family FriendL'amico di famiglia Paolo Sorrentino ItalyFast Food Nation Richard Linklater United States, United Kingdom FlandersFlandresBruno Dumont France Lights In The DuskLaitakaupungin valot Aki Kaurismäki Finland, Germany, FranceMarie Antoinette Sofia Coppola United States, France, Japan Pan's LabyrinthEl laberinto del fauno Guillermo del Toro Spain, MexicoRed Road Andrea Arnold United Kingdom, Denmark The Right of the WeakestLa Raison du plus faible Lucas Belvaux BelgiumSouthland Tales Richard Kelly United States, Germany Summer Palace頤和園 Lou Ye China Volver Pedro Almodóvar Spain When I Was a SingerQuand j'étais chanteur Xavier Giannoli FranceThe Wind That Shakes the Barley Ken Loach Ireland, United Kingdom, Italy,Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland
Un Certain Regard The following films were selected for the competition of : English title Original title Director(s) Production Country2:37Murali K. Thalluri Australia977 Девять семь семьNikolay KhomerikiRussiaBled Number OneRabah Ameur-ZaïmecheAlgeria, FranceFrench CaliforniaLa CalifornieJacques FieschiFranceLuxury Car江城夏日Wang ChaoChina, FranceMurderers MeurtrièresPatrick GrandperretFranceThe Page TurnerLa Tourneuse de pagesDenis DercourtParaguayan HammockHamaca paraguayaPaz EncinaParaguayParis, je t'aimeGurinder Chadha, Bruno Podalydès, Gus Van Sant, Coen brothers, Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas, Christopher Doyle, Isabel Coixet, Suwa Nobuhiro, Sylvain Chomet, Alfonso Cuarón, Olivier Assayas, Oliver Schmitz, Richard LaGravenese, Vincenzo Natali, Wes Craven, Tom Tykwer, Gérard Depardieu, Frédéric Auburtin, Alexander PayneFrance, Germany, Switzerland, LiechtensteinRe-cycle鬼域The Pang BrothersHong Kong, ThailandRetrieval Z odzyskuSławomir FabickiPolandSalvadorSalvador (Puig Antich)Manuel HuergaSpain, United KingdomA Scanner DarklyRichard LinklaterUnited StatesSerambiGarin Nugroho, Tonny Trimarsanto, Viva Westi, Lianto LusenoIndonesiaSuburban MayhemPaul GoldmanAustraliaTaxidermia György PálfiHungary, Austria, FranceTen CanoesRolf de HeerAustraliaTo Get to Heaven, First You Have to DieЧтобы Добраться до Небес Сначала, Вы должны УмеретьJamshed UsmonovTajikistanThe Unforgiven용서받지 못한 자Yoon Jong-binSouth KoreaUro Stefan FaldbakkenNorwayThe ViolinEl violinFrancisco VargasMexicoThe Way I Spent the End of the WorldCum mi-am petrecut sfârșitul lumiiCătălin MitulescuRomaniaThe Wedding DirectorIl regista di matrimoniMarco BellocchioItalyYou Am I Aš esi tuKristijonas VildziunasLithuania
Out of Competition The following films were selected to be screened out of competition: English title Original title Director(s) Production CountryAn Inconvenient Truth Davis GuggenheimUnited StatesAvida Benoît Delépine and Gustave KervernFranceBamako Abderrahmane SissakoMali, France, United StaBoffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and BlockbustersBill CouturiéUnited StatesThe Boy on the Galloping HorseChłopiec na galopującym koniuAdam GuzińskiPolandClerks II Kevin SmithUnited StatesA Curtain Raiser (short)Un lever de rideauFrançois OzonFranceThe Da Vinci Code (opening film)Ron HowardUnited States, Malta, France, United KingdomEl-banate dolTahani RachedEgyptElection 2黑社會:以和爲貴Johnnie ToHong KongHalim حليمSherif ArafaEgyptThe House Is BurningHolger ErnstGermanyI Only Wanted to LiveVolevo solo vivereMimmo CaloprestiItalyIci Najac, à vous la terreJean-Henri MeunierFranceOh La La!Nouvelle chanceAnne FontaineOver the HedgeTim Johnson and Karey KirkpatrickUnited StatesRequiem for Billy the KidRequiem pour Billy the KidAnne FeinsilberFranceRoom 666 (1982)Chambre 666Wim WendersFrance, West GermanyLes signes (short)Eugène GreenFranceShortbus John Cameron MitchellUnited StatesSIDA (short)Gaspar NoéFranceSilk 詭絲Su Chao-pinTaiwanSketches of Frank GehrySydney PollackUnited StatesStanley's Girlfriend (short)Monte HellmanTransylvania (closing film)Tony GatlifFranceUnited 93Paul GreengrassUnited States, United Kingdom, FranceThe Water Diary (short)Jane CampionFranceX-Men: The Last StandBrett RatnerUnited StatesZidane: A 21st Century Portrait Zidane, un portrait du 21e sièclePhilippe Parreno and Douglas GordonFrance
Cinéfondation The following short films were selected for the competition of Cinéfondation:
Doorman by Etienne Kallos Een ingewikkeld verhaal, eenvoudig verteld by Jaap van Heusden Elastinen parturi by Milla Nybondas Emile's Girlfriend (Ha'chavera shell Emile) by Nadav Lapid Even Kids Started Small by Yaniv Berman Firn by Axel Koenzen Ge & Zeta by Gustavo Riet Une goutte d'eau by Deniz Gamze Ergüven Graceland by Anocha Suwichakornpong Hunde by Matthias Huser Jaba by Andreas Bolm Justiça ao insulto by Bruno Jorge Mother by Siân Heder Mr. Schwartz, Mr. Hazen & Mr. Horlocker by Stefan Mueller Snow by Dustin Feneley Tetris by Anirban Datta Le virus by Ágnes Kocsis
Short Films Competition The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or:
Banquise by Cédric Louis, Claude Barras Conte de quartier by Florence Miailhe Film noir by Osbert Parker Nature's Way by Jane Shearer O monstro by Eduardo Valente Ongeriewe by Robin Kleinsmidt Poyraz by Belma Bas Primera nieve by Pablo Aguero Sexy Thing by Denie Pentecost Sniffer by Bobbie Peers
Cannes Classics The Cannes Classics section highlights heritage cinema, re-discovered films, restored prints and theatrical, television or DVD releases of great films of the past.
Tribute India Song by Marguerite Duras (1975) Sergei Eisenstein Hommage A Sergei Eisensten (02:17) Bezhin Meadow (Bejin lug) by Sergei Eisenstein (1936 short) Alejandro Jodorowsky The Holy Mountain (1973) El Topo (1970) Carol Reed A Kid for Two Farthings (1955) The Fallen Idol (1948) Odd Man Out (1947) The Way Ahead (1944) Seance John Ford / John Wayne (03:22) Norman McLaren Programme McLaren (01:30) Norman McLaren's Opening Speech with Arthur Lipset (1961 short) Begone Dull Care (1949 short) with Evelyn Lambart Blinkity Blank (1955 short) A Chairy Tale (1957 short) with Claude Jutra Hen Hop (1942 short) Lines horizontal (1962 short) with Evelyn Lambart Mail Early (1941 short) Le merle (1958 short) Neighbours (1952 short) Pas de deux (1968 short) La poulette grise (1947 short) Stars and Stripes (1940 short) Synchromy (1971 short)
Documentaries about Cinema
Il était une fois...Rome ville ouverte by Marie Genin, Serge July John Ford / John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend by Sam Pollard Marcello, una vita dolce by Annarosa Morri, Mario Canale
Restored prints
The 14 Amazons (Shi si nu ying hao) by Kang Cheng (1972) Blast of Silence by Allen Baron (1961) Cabiria by Giovanni Pastrone (1914) Violent Summer by Valerio Zurlini (1959) The Hussy (La Drolesse) by Jacques Doillon (1978) Harvest: 3,000 Years (Mirt Sost Shi Amit) by Haile Gerima (1975) The Last Adventure (Les Aventuriers) by Robert Enrico (1967) Monte Cristo by Henri Fescourt (1929) Le mystère de la tour Eiffel by Julien Duvivier (1927) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no Tani no Naushika) by Hayao Miyazaki (1984) October: Ten Days That Shook the World (Oktyabr) by Sergei Eisenstein, Grigori Aleksandrov (1927) Platoon by Oliver Stone (1986) Rome, Open City (Roma città aperta) by Roberto Rossellini (1945) The Searchers by John Ford (1956) La Terra Trema by Luchino Visconti (1948)
Parallel sections International Critics' Week The following films were screened for the 45th International Critics' Week (45e Semaine de la Critique):
Feature film competition
Drama/Mex by Gerardo Naranjo (Mexico) Fresh Air by Ágnes Kocsis (Hungary) Komma by Martine Doyen (France, Belgium) Les amitiés maléfiques by Emmanuel Bourdieu (France) The Bothersome Man by Jens Lien (Norway) Pingpong by Matthias Luthardt (Germany) Fish Dreams (Sonhos de peixe) by Kirill Mikhanovsky (Brazil)
Short film competition
Alguma coisa assim by Esmir Filho Iron by Hiroyuki Nakano Kristall by Christoph Girardet, Matthias Müller Kvinna vid grammofon by Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, Ola Simonsson L'écluse by Olivier Ciechelski News by Ursula Ferrara Printed Rainbow by Gitanjali Rao
Directors' Fortnight The following films were screened for the 2006 Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalizateurs):
12:08 East of Bucharest by Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania) Along the Ridge (Libero) by Kim Rossi Stuart (Italy) Les Anges Exterminateurs by Jean-Claude Brisseau (France) Azur et Asmar by Michel Ocelot (France) Bug by William Friedkin (United States) Ça brûle by Claire Simon (France) Change of Address by Emmanuel Mouret (France) Congorama by Philippe Falardeau (Canada) Daft Punk's Electroma by Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (France) Dans Paris by Christophe Honoré (France) Day Night Day Night by Julia Loktev (United States, France, Germany) The Hawk Is Dying by Julian Goldberger (United States) Honor de Cavalleria by Albert Serra (Spain) The Host by Bong Joon Ho (South Korea) Jindabyne by Ray Lawrence (Australia) Lying by M. Blash (United States) Princesse by Anders Morgenthaler (Denmark) Summer '04 by Stefan Krohmer (Germany) Sway by Miwa Nishikawa (Japan) Transe by Teresa Villaverde (Italy, France) The Way I Spent the End of the World by Catalin Mitulescu (Romania, France) We Should Not Exist by Hervé P. Gustave (France) White Palms by Szabolcs Hajdu (Hungary)
Short films
The Aluminum Fowl by James Clauer Bugcrush by Carter Smith By the Kiss by Yann Gonzalez by Cyprien Vial by Sophie Letourneur Menged by Daniel Taye Workou Rapace by João Nicolau Un rat by Bosilka Simonovitch