Controversy in Cannes as top honour awarded to film with lesbian sex scenes 'that leave nothing to the imagination'



The prestigious Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival was last night awarded to a steamy three-hour movie about a lesbian love affair.

‘Blue Is the Warmest Colour’ took the prize for the best film from a jury led by Steven Spielberg and Nicole Kidman.

One scene includes a no-holds-barred twelve minute erotic sex scene between two women, played by Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos, that leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination.

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Emotional: Director Abdellatif Kechiche, left, smiles as Adele Exarchopoulos, right, is kissed by Lea Seydoux after they were presented the Palme d'Or award for La Vie D'Adele

Winners: French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche poses on stage with French actresses Adele Exarchopoulos (C) and Lea Seydoux

Steamy: The prestigious award was given to steamy three hour lesbian movie Blue Is The Warmest Colour

The naked women writhed, licked and explored every intimate inch of each others bodies.

During the gala the audience sat in silence and craned their necks as if to get a better view of the steamy scenes unfolding in plain sight on the huge screen.

It's the most sensational win at Cannes in years.

Tears: Emotional Lea Seydoux, left, and Adele Exarchopoulos embrace as they celebrate getting the most prestigious award of the year

Overjoyed: Director Kechiche is hugged by his two stars as they accept the prestigious award Close: The actresses pose for waiting photographers

Sterling performances: The two young actresses in Blue Is The Warmest Colour impressed the jury

Kisses: It was a bit of a tactile celebration as the actresses and their director took part in a photocall after the announcement

The three hour movie directed by Abdellatif Kechiche becomes an instant classic not just because of its graphic sex but also because of the mind-blowing performances of its two young stars.

Seydoux plays Emma a fine arts student and painter with blue hair who meets a 17 year old student ,played magnificently by Exarchopoulos.

It may face problems with British film censors because of its erotic nature and for a scene involving what has been described as ''erotic impressive scissoring' where the two women are lock their limbs in an intimate,and sensual, embrace.

Thrilled: Uma Thurman presented the award to the trio Looking good: the girls' performances impressed the judges at this year's festival Proud: It is the most high profile prize Blue Is The Warmest Colour has won

The Birds: Actress Kim Novak speaks on stage at the closing ceremony

Bombshell: Blue Is The Warmest Colour, starring young actresses Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos, has won the festival's top honour

French star Berenice Bejo took the best actress prize for her portrait of Marie a woman at the centre of a kitchen sink drama as intense as a Hitchcock thriller.



Marie summons her estranged husband back to Paris to finalise their divorce so she can marry her lover whose own wife is in a coma.

Veteran Hollywood actor Bruce Dern took the best actor trophy for his role as a man who goes on a road trip with his son in the poignant yet warmly funny film Nebraska which also stars US comic Will Forte in his first dramatic screen role.

Best actress: Berenice Bejo accepted the award for her role in The Past

Hot contender: The Past was tipped as a strong rival to the crown of best film at the established film festival

Acceptance speech: Berenice gets emotional onstage as she accepts her award

Dern , father of actress Laura Dern, has been acting in movies for over half a century. He was nominated for an Oscar when he played Jane Fonda's embittered husband in Coming Home.

The Grand Prix award went to Joel and Ethan Coen for their acclaimed picture Inside Llewyn Davis starring Oscar Isaac as a gifted but self-destructive 1960s folk musician.

Veteran Hollywood actor Bruce Dern took the best actor trophy for his role in Bebraska (pictured here earlier in the week)

Other top awards went to Amat Escalante for best director for the film Heli, a drama about dangerous young love in Mexico.

The tear-jerking film Like Father,Like Son won the jury prize for Kore-Eda Hirokazu .Best first feature went to. Anthony Chen for his film Ilo Ilo. While writer Jia Zhangke won for his screenplay for his contemporary vision of Chinese life in the picture A Touch of Sin.

Take a bow: But Michael Douglas was shunned at the awards

The music man: Michael didn't learn piano for the film, but instead pretended to play the right keys

The Grand Prix prize for Inside Llewyn Davis is particularly gratifying for its young actors including Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake and British star Carey Mulligan as a singer who cuckolds her husband played by Timberlake.

The biggest loser of the night was Michael Douglas who, some believed, might be honoured in some way for his performance as Liberace in the HBO film Behind the Candelabra which also starred Matt Damon as his young lover Scott Thorson.





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AND THE AWARD GOES TO.... FULL WINNERS LIST



Palme d’Or: Abdellatif Kechiche, Blue Is The Warmest Color





Grand Prix: Coen Brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis





Best Director: Amat Escalante, Heli





Best Screenplay: Jia Zhangke, A Touch of Sin



Best Actress: Berenice Bejo, The Past



Best Actor: Bruce Dern, Nebraska





Jury Prize: Hirokazu Kore-eda, Like Father, Like Son



Camera d'Or: Anthony Chen, Ilo Ilo

















