2011 Cannes Film Festival: History and Background

The 64th Cannes Film Festival took place from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition. American filmmaker Terrence Malick won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for the drama film The Tree of Life.

Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci was presented with the Honorary Palme d'Or during the opening ceremony of the festival. The official poster for the festival featured a 1967 photo of American actress Faye Dunaway by the American director and photographer Jerry Schatzberg, who won the Palme d'Or in 1973 (then known as the "Grand Prix du Festival International du Film") for his film Scarecrow. Mélanie Laurent hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.

Jailed Iranian filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof were honoured at the festival. Goodbye by Rasoulof and Panahi's This Is Not a Film were screened at the festival.

Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier caused controversy with comments made during Melancholia's press conference, when asked about the relation between the influences of German Romanticism in the film and his own German heritage, the director made jokes about Jews and Nazis. Stating that he "understood" Adolf Hitler and admired the work of architect Albert Speer, and jokingly announced that he was a Nazi. The Cannes Film Festival organization first issued an official apology for the remarks the same day and clarified that Trier was not a Nazi or an antisemite, the following day the filmmaker was declared "persona non grata", though the film remained in competition, winning Best Actress for Kirsten Dunst.

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