Sawt Falasteen - Russian war drama among favourites for top Cannes film prize

"Minotaur", by exiled Russian auteur Andrey Zvyagintsev, depicting a callous businessman caught up in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is one of several strong contenders for the prestigious Palme d'Or.

"Those who agree that it's time to put an end to this hell, and that it's a nightmare and a disaster for Russia, those people will understand this film clearly," Zvyagintsev told AFP, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Other critics' favourites include arty black-and-white historical drama "Fatherland", thought-provoking "Fjord" starring Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve, and the poignant "All of a Sudden" by Japan's Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

"La Bola Negra", a big-budget Spanish drama about multiple gay lives, and "A Man of His Time", about an ambitious local official working in France's collaborationist government during World War II, have also charmed audiences during the two-week festival.

The nine-person jury, headed by South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook and including Hollywood star Demi Moore and Oscar-winning "Nomadland" director Chloe Zhao, will reveal the winner late Saturday at a televised black tie event.

Last year's prize went to "It Was Just an Accident", a political drama by dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi about torture and revenge in the Islamic republic.

- Nepal makes history -

Cannes Festival is one of the cinema world's biggest annual events, providing a crucial platform for independent cinema, as well as a showcase for fashion and celebrities to rival the Academy Awards or the Met Gala.

The 79th edition of the festival was packed with its usual stable of A-listers, from John Travolta to Cate Blanchett and Vin Diesel, but Hollywood was under-represented.

No major US studio agreed to launch a blockbuster at Cannes this year, or at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, raising questions about why giants such as Universal, Disney or Warner are dodging European events.

Other big talking points included the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking, as well as the continued under-representation of women in the industry.

Only five of the 22 films in the main competition this year were directed by women.

- Other prizes -

Some prizes have already been handed out. Iranian documentary "Rehearsals for a Revolution", about political repression in the war-wracked country by exiled actress and director Pegah Ahangarani, took the top documentary prize.

The transgender cast of "Elephants in the Fog" -- Nepal's first-ever film in competition at Cannes -- won the jury prize of the official Certain Regard section Friday. Its star Pushpa Thing Lama draped the Nepalese flag around director Abinash Bikram Shah's neck as she hugged him.

Its top prize went to Austrian director Sandra Wollner for "Everytime", a "gripping tale on grief".

And the best actor prize in the Certain Regard section went to 18-year-old Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset, who was discovered in a street audition in the Central African capital Bangui for the crowd-pleasing "Congo Boy", a refugee rap drama.

He is the first ever actor from the war-torn country to win a competition award in Cannes.

One of Britain's only feature films showing in Cannes, Clio Barnard's "I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning", about a group of five friends, picked up top prize in the parallel Directors' Fortnight section.

G.AbuOdeh--SF-PST