After Agnès Varda in 2015, Clint Eastwood, Manoel de Oliveira, Woody Allen and Bernardo Bertolucci in recent years, tribute will be paid to the French comedian Jean-Pierre Léaud during the Festival de Cannes. The honorary Palme d’or of the Festival’s 69th edition will be awarded during the Closing Ceremony on Sunday May 22nd.
Jean-Pierre Léaud is part of the Cannes legend. He was discovered by François Truffaut who made him the young hero of his first film, Les 400 Coups (The 400 Blows), and made his first appearance on the Croisette in 1959 as an extrovert, unruly 14-year-old. His spontaneity was representative of the wind of freedom that the French New Wave brought to cinema. Antoine Doinel and François Truffaut continued to support him with Antoine et Colette (Antoine and Colette) (1962), Baisers volés (Stolen Kisses) (1968), Domicile conjugal (Bed and Board) (1970) and L'Amour en fuite (Love on the Run) (1979).
