– The two filmmakers were honoured jointly for The Unknown and Voilà, c’est fini, respectively, while an Honorary Vigo was presented to Alain Gomis
The Unknown by Arthur Harari and Voilà, c’est fini by Gustave Kervern
Shining a light on independence of mind, originality and high-quality work, the 74th Jean Vigo Award was jointly presented to Arthur Harari for The Unknown (a standout title in Cannes’ most recent competition – due for release in France on 26 August via Pathé) and Gustave Kervern for Voilà, c’est fini (read our article – due for release in French cinemas on 24 March 2027 via Pyramide).
In the jury’ words: “With The Unknown, Arthur Harari confirms his unique command of mise-en-scène which consistently marries indisputable formal rigour with powerful novelistic writing: every shot is crafted to bring tension to the surface, in this case revolving around a man who no longer recognises himself and a world that’s carrying on without him. The rigour of the film’s framing and editing, and its off-screen sound, serve a narrative which advances through minute ruptures rather than coups de théâtre. Restraint is achieved through great precision in gestures and in directing actors, transforming vertigo into thought.”
“Voilà, c’est fini sees Gustave Kervern offering up a profoundly human work, strung between derision and compassion. He films the margins without complacency and maps out everyday power dynamics in a comedy that’s also an anti-colonial tale: he points to the lingering traces of an inherited power relationship and the way certain stories continue to repeat themselves amidst indifference. At the same time, Voilà c’est fini paints the portrait of a society where money, status and origin draw invisible yet sharp fault lines between bruised and off-balanced characters. Beneath the lightness, the film reveals the things we keep quiet — our missteps, our small acts of cowardice, our clumsy impulses. We loved the film’s ironic, moving similarity to real life.”
The award sees the two directors joining the ranks of Jean-Luc Godard, Maurice Pialat, Alain Resnais, Claude Chabrol, Bruno Dumont, Olivier Assayas, Noémie Lvovsky, Katell Quillévéré, Laurent Cantet, Alain Guiraudie, Mathieu Amalric, Alice Diop, Louise Couvoisier and Louise Hémon (crowned last year), to name but a few. This is the third time in the history of the Jean Vigo Feature Film Prize that it’s been awarded jointly to two filmmakers, following Patricia Mazuy and Orso Miret in 2000 and Yann Gonzalez and Jean-Bernard Marlin in 2018.
Last but not least, an Honorary Vigo was this year bestowed upon French-Senegalese filmmaker Alain Gomis (Dao, Félicité), while the Jean Vigo trophy for Best Short Film went to À la recherche de l’oiseau gris aux rayures vertes by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi (Barney Production).
(Translated from French)
