News From 14 to 25 May, Chopard once again adorned the stars on La Croisette. Palme d'or for Frenchman Laurent Cantet.
Part and parcel of Chopard’s history for a good ten years – it was Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele who redesigned it in 1997 at the request of Pierre Viot, then president of the event - the Palme d'or of the 61st Cannes Festival was awarded on 25 May this year to French film maker Laurent Cantet for his film Entre les murs. The two "mini-palmes", exact replicas of their famous elder brother, awarded since 2000 to the best male and female actors, for their part went to Benicio del Toro for his role as Che Guevara in the film of the same name by Steven Soderbergh, and to Sandra Corveloni for her moving portrayal of a working class mother in Linha de Passe, a film by Brazilian Walter Selles.
However the Geneva based watchmaker and jeweller was not content to shine only at the closing ceremony. Not a day passed without one star or another wearing one of its creations as they mounted the legendary steps: Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Gillian Anderson, Amira Casar, Penelope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow, Dita von Teese, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christina Ricci, Madonna, Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Béart, Milla Jovovich, Kerry Washington, Eva Herzigova, etc.
In Cannes, Chopard also hosted an evening event in honour of Woody Allen and his new film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. And Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele designed with Alberta Ferretti a unique jewel dress which was sold at auction on 22 May during the American Foundation for Aids Research (AMFAR) gala, the proceeds from which will help to finance the fight against Aids.
Above all, Chopard in Cannes is synonymous with the Chopard Trophy, awarded each year since 2001 to a young actor and actress who have stood out particularly in the course of the year. Former prize winners include Audrey Tautou, Ludivine Sagnier, Gael Garcia Bernal, Diane Kruger, Marion Cottilard, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Kelly Reilly and Kevin Zegers.
Symbolised by a ribbon of film delicately worked by the hands of master jewellers employed by the Geneva firm, the trophy this year went to Omar Metwally – who in our photo is being presented with the prize by Gwyneth Paltrow - and Wei Tang.
Born in New York in 1975, the son of an Egyptian father and a German mother, Omar Metwally spent his childhood in California where he studied history and theatre before starting a career on the boards in San Francisco. He then appeared on and off Broadway where he received a nomination for the Tony Awards for the play Sixteen Wounded in 2004. Very soon television – particularly the series Grey’s Anatomy and The Unity - and cinema recognised his talent. Steven Spielberg made him a Palestinian militant in Munich and Gavin Hood cast him alongside Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal in Secret Detention which launched him well and truly onto the international scene. He will be appearing alongside Anthony Hopkins and Laura Linney in the next James Ivory film (The City of Your Final Destination) and in Amsterdam by Ivo van Hove.
Her porcelain complexion and remarkable physique saw Wei Tang embark on an early career as a model and an entrant in the Miss Universe competition. Born in 1979 in China, she attended classes at the Central Academy of Drama in Peking. Hesitating between a career as a producer, director or actress, she was selected from 10,000 candidates by Taiwanese director Ang Lee to play the heroine in Lust, Caution. In this very erotic thriller (Lion d’or in Venice 2007), she puts everything into the role of a student ordered to seduce a collaborator during the Sino-Japanese war who despite herself falls prey to the charms of her victim, played by Tony Leung. Her performance, albeit toned down in China, saw her fall foul of the censor in her own country.
At the festival’s closing ceremony, president Gilles Jacob and Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele announced the May dates of next year’s 62nd edition of the event and the twelfth participation of Chopard.
May 30, 2008
