Waking up to great news always makes a great day and I’m truly happy to share with you all that one of my most-favorite directors will be honored this year with the honor given to a director by his peers. La Carrose d’Or (Golden Coach) is a tribute by directors of Société des réalisateurs (SRF) to one of their own, chosen from the international filmmaking community for the innovative qualities, courage and independent-mindedness of his or her work.
The Carrosse d’Or is a bronze statuette inspired by the figures of the Comedia dell’Arte and Jean Renoir’s film of the same name – it was created by painter-sculptor Lili Legouvello.
… and the award goes to: Aki Kaurismäki!!!
The following is an extract of the letter sent to Aki Kaurismäki by SRF board of directors: Luc Battiston, Stéphane Brizé, Thomas Cailley, Laurent Cantet, Malik Chibane, Catherine Corsini, François Farellacci, Léa Fehner, Pascale Ferran, Denis Gheerbrant, Fabienne Godet, Stéphanie Kalfon, Cédric Klapisch, Héléna Klotz, Thomas Lilti, Paul Marques Duarte, Anna Novion, Katell Quillévéré, Christophe Ruggia, Pierre Salvadori, Céline Sciamma, Jan Sitta.
Your stories are inspired fables telling tales of the forgotten, those fallen through cracks, those who are extreme, and those who have no user manual.
You film, without exception, economically, with precision and grandeur, without ever giving up on fiction, poetry or even the burlesque
By featuring these characters you give them a place, and you save them, because those whose stories are not told, do not exist.
Your films are often melancholy but never devastating. They always end by finding a firework to light up the darkest nights and the most sombre inclinations.
Alcohol, love, friendship, gifts or chance sometimes save your characters from boredom, despair, or death as your films save the audience from too much normality.
For all of this, for the languor and insolence of your films, for their healthy and calm subversion, we would like to honor you at the same moment as the greatest cinephile event in the world.
There are some words in the extract that made visualize some of Kaurismäki films, those films that have mesmerized me and visually take me into very-cold bluish bliss; but most of all, those films that I love for his peculiar and particular storytelling style that more often than not, requires fantastic deadpan performances by his actors.
For me the best from the extract is when SRF directors verbalize what I believe to be one the best truths about Kaurismäki, he save us, the audience, from too much normality!
Since La Carrose d’Or creation in 2002 many great directors have received the honor, including some of my favorite director like Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Jane Campion, Naomi Kawase or Jia Zhangke; but to be honest, this year the honoree made me very emotional, as much as his films do not make me (lol)!!! Congratulations!
If you wish to read the official SRF press release in English go here. As we know SRF is the creator and organizer of Quinzaine des réalisateurs, so the award will be presented during the collateral section opening night on May 12. Expect more activities around this award like screening of some of his films, perhaps a masterclass and the pleasure of watching Kaurismäki unusual presence (and behavior) in Cannes. Love it!
