Gavras honoured at Cannes Festival

Thierry Frémaux, artistic director of the Cannes Film Festival, praised the work of Gavras for its ability to cross the borders and constitute a carrier for culture messages across Europe. "What is radical in modern Europe is democracy itself," the famous director said.

Alternate Culture Minister Nikos Xydakis, who attended the festival, said that "honouring Costas Gavras is an honour for Greece but also for France and for Europe. This is a praise for a film that is not only a work of art, but forms consciences in European democracies. A cinema that performs a spiritual and educational role and provides entertainment in the ancient sense: it educates responsible and sensitive citizens."

Gavras stressed the need for reinforcing the presence of the Greek cinema and generally of the modern Greek civilisation abroad."Through civilisation, the real Greece should and must be promoted, besides the stereotypes on which some insist on. Some say that we have a government of radicals. This is not true. The Greek government is not a radical and modern Europe, democracy itself is radical."

"The Lobster", a film of Greek director George Lanthimos, is the first Greek movie after 17 years to claim the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year after Theodoros Angelopoulos "Eternity and a Day." In 2009, Lanthimos won the Prix Un Certain Regard for his film Dogtooth.