Wong Kar Wai Leads Jury at 2006 Cannes Film Festival

Wong Kar-wai will preside over the jury of the 59th Cannes Film Festival, May 17-28, 2006.

Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai will preside over the jury of the 59th Cannes Film Festival, May 17-28, 2006. He is the first Chinese president in the Festival's history.

As Tears Go By, about a low-level triad member thinking about leaving the gangster life for love, was the first film presented by Wong at Cannes in 1989.

His next foray at the festival in 1997 with his film Happy Together, a tale of a strained relationship between two Chinese gay lovers living in Buenos Aires, proved successful when he was the first Chinese to be named best director at Cannes.

In the Mood for Love, starring Tony Cheung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung as married lovers in a furtive affair in 1962 Hong Kong, was nominated for the Palm d'Or in 2000 and solidified Wong on the International Film circuit. His 2046 screened at the festival in 2004 and was hailed by reviewers as a "sublime exploration of inner time".

"Each city has its own language. In Cannes, it is the language of dreams. Yet it is difficult to judge one's dream much less compare it to another, Wong said in a statement issued by festival organizers.

According to Gilles Jacob, President of the Festival, "We are particularly delighted to have Wong Kar Wai as jury president. His films immediately strike us by their plastic splendour and nostalgic amorous emotion in the great romantic tradition."

"There is an old Chinese saying: One can never expect the wind, but should always keep one's window open," said Wong. "Along with my fellow jurors, I look forward to sharing the dreams created by some of the most gifted talents in contemporary cinema. And our goal will be to keep our windows open as wide as possible."

Wong's next film, The Lady from Shanghai starring Nicole Kidman, is in pre-production.