Irish actor Cillian Murphy was "absolutely thrilled" last night after The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Ken Loach's Irish War of Independence film in which he has the leading role, had won the Palme d'Or.
In the film he plays a young Cork doctor politicised by events and caught up in the post-Treaty guerrilla activities of a Flying Column in rural Cork.
Murphy, a Golden Globe nominee for Breakfast on Pluto earlier this year, was on holiday in France with his wife and baby son when he heard the news from Cannes.
"There's no telly in this house, so I couldn't see the awards show, but I was overwhelmed when I heard the news. I'm thrilled for Ken Loach and all of us who worked on the film, and as a Corkman, for Cork, where most of the film was made."
Rebecca O'Brien, who has produced most of Loach's recent films, said that the award was "the greatest thrill" in all her life working in the film industry.
"My father's family is from Dromoland in Co Clare, so it was even more special to win the Cannes prize with a film we made in Ireland, where we received wonderful co-operation throughout the production."
The film is the eighth directed by Ken Loach to be selected for the competition at Cannes. While several of his films received other awards at Cannes in previous years - among them Raining Stones, My Name is Joe, Land and Freedom, and the controversial Northern Ireland thriller, Hidden Agenda - this is his first time to receive the major prize, the Palme d'Or.
Throughout his remarkable career, Loach, who turns 70 next month, has been one of the most egalitarian, obstinately uncompromisingly and socially and politically concerned directors working in world cinema. His new film, which goes on release in Ireland from June 23rd, is one of just five Irish-made productions to be selected for competition at Cannes.
In 1971 Susannah York was voted best female actor at the festival for Robert Altman's Dublin-made Images. In 1984 Helen Mirren took that award for Pat O'Connor's film, Cal. And in 1998 Wicklow resident John Boorman was named best director at Cannes for The General, featuring Brendan Gleeson as Dublin criminal Martin Cahill.
The runner-up prize, the Grand Prix du Jury, was given to French director Bruno Dumont for the war film, Flandres. Pedro Almodovar's warmly received Volver collected two awards, best screenplay to Almodovar and best female actor, which was shared by the six leading women in the film, led by Penelope Cruz and Carmen Maura. The best male actor award was shared by five men in the leading roles of Rachid Bouchareb's powerful film of Algerian and Moroccan men fighting with the French forces during the second World War in Indigenes (Days of Glory).
Prize for best director went to Mexican disc-jockey-turned-director Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu for the globe-trotting contemporary thriller, Babel, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.