“The 400 Blows” (1959)
Director: François Truffaut
Cast: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy and Claire Maurier
How it Defined Cannes: Introduced the French New Wave
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Image Credit: FilmStruck -
“In The Mood For Love” (2000)
Image Credit: FilmStruck Director: Wong Kar-wai
Cast: Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung
How it Defined Cannes: Made Cannes a major showcase for Hong Kong New Wave cinema.
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“Rome, Open City” (1945)
Image Credit: FilmStruck Director: Roberto Rossellini
Cast: Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani and Marcello Pagliero
How it Defined Cannes: Won the Grand Prize at the 1st Cannes Film Festival and established Italian neorealism on the international film stage
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“And God Created Woman” (1956)
Image Credit: FilmStruck Director: Roger Vadim
Cast: Brigitte Bardot
How it Defined Cannes: Announced the festival would always be a safe place for exploring themes of female liberation.
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“Blue is the Warmest Color” (2013)
Image Credit: FilmStruck Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Cast: Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux
How it Defined Cannes: Became the first film to split the Palme d’Or among the director and lead actors.
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“Days of Heaven” (1978)
Image Credit: FilmStruck Director: Terrence Malick
Cast: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard and Linda Manz.
How it Defined Cannes: Capped off a decade at the festival domianted by New Hollywood, making the America the major player on the Croisette
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“Hiroshima Mon Amour” (1959)
Image Credit: FilmStruck Director: Alain Resnais
Cast: Emmanuelle Riva and Eiji Okada
How it Defined Cannes: Confirmed French New Wave was the leading film international movement heading into the 1960s
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“Le Beau Serge” (1958)
Image Credit: FilmStruck Director: Claude Chabrol
Cast: Gérard Blain, Jean-Claude Brialy and Michèle Méritz
How it Defined Cannes: The first introduction to what would blossom into the French New Wave the very next year (see “The 400 Blows” and “Hiroshima Mon Amour”)
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“Taste of Cherry” (1997)
Image Credit: FilmStruck Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Cast: Homayoun Ershadi
How it Defined Cannes: The first Iranian film to earn top honors at the festival.