Haneke's 'The White Ribbon' wins Cannes top prize

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Haneke's 'The White Ribbon' wins Cannes top prize
By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer David Germain, Ap Movie Writer 17 mins ago

CANNES, France – Austrian director Michael Haneke's somber drama "The White Ribbon" claimed the top prize Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival, where Quentin Tarantino and Lars von Trier entries earned the acting honors.

It was a big night for Austria, whose triumphs included Christoph Waltz as best actor for Tarantino's World War II epic "Inglourious Basterds." Charlotte Gainsbourg won the best-actress honor for von Trier's "Antichrist," a film that riled and repelled many Cannes viewers with its explicit images of physical abuse involving a grieving couple.

Haneke addressed his wife as he accepted his award, noting that "happiness is very rare."

"This is one moment in my life in which I'm very happy, and so are you, I believe," said Haneke, who received the festival's Palme d'Or for his gorgeously photographed black-and-white tale. "The White Ribbon" examines themes of communal guilt, distrust and punishment among residents of a small German town besieged by tragedies and strange occurrences as World War I approaches.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090524/ap_on_en_mo/eu_france_cannes_awards