This year’s Cannes Film Festival surely
made news for some great line up of films. Taking place in a July, two months
after its usual May berth, festival organisers battled against the odds to
stage the world’s biggest movie gathering, with many attendees forced to be
regularly tested for COVID-19.

In the restricted environment, what kept
everyone happy and content is the outstanding works by some of the filmmakers. Here,
in no particular order, are the 10 best films that played on the Croisette this
year.

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Titane

The film won the Palme d’Or and
was appreciated by jury led by Spike Lee. With the win, writer-director Julia
Ducournau became the second female (after Jane Campion for The Piano) to win
Cannes’ top prize. Her first film since her 2016 debut Raw, this tell of an androgynous
psychopath (Agathe Rousselle) who hooks up with Vincent Lindon’s emotionally
deadened father is rich in violence and black comedy. It was certainly one of
the more original films in the competition line-up.

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Benedetta

Dutch director Paul Verhoeven’ film was originally
set for last year’s festival. This true life historical erotic drama was said
by some critics to be blasphemous. Virginie Efira, in the title role, plays a
nun who falls for another in a 17th century Italian convent.

Lamb

Icelandic tale Lamb is the first film by
director Valdimar Jóhannsson. The movie follows a childless couple (Hilmir
Snaer Gudnason and Noomi Rapace) living on a remote sheep farm in rural Iceland
who welcome an unusual blessing into their lives. The film stole the show with
superb visual effects.

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A Hero

Two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi took
home the festival’s Grand Prix trophy for the film .  The Iranian film starred Amir Jadidi and
Mohsen Tanabandeh in the lead role.  The
story revolves around Rahim  who is in
prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he
tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of
part of the sum. But things don’t go as planned.

The Worst Person in The World

This  Norwegian dark romantic comedy-drama film
directed by Joachim Trier is the third film, after Reprise and Oslo, 31 August,
in the director’s “Oslo Trilogy.” The film premiered in competition
at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, with Renate Reinsve winning the award for
Best Actress for her performance in the film.