Lyon (AFP)
The legendary American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, author of the "Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now", received Friday the Prix Lumière for his entire career, for the ten years of the Lumière Festival, dedicated to the classics of the 7th Art.
"I saw myself as a child sitting on the sidewalk while a parade was going on (...) I just wanted to be part of it, and tonight you let me feel what I want most in the world , the feeling of being part of a group, and I thank you for that, "he said before receiving his award from the hands of South Korean director Bong Joon-ho and French actress Nathalie Baye, who had been part of the jury chaired by Coppola in Cannes in 1996.
"There are three things tonight that I felt, and who are very present here in Lyon.And ironically, these are the three things that this world in shambles (...) needs most: usability, 'enthusiasm and celebration,' he added.
Before, Francis Ford Coppola had spoken about his work and his way of working during a conversation with the public Friday afternoon.
The 80-year-old director, who won two Golden Palms at the Cannes Film Festival for "Secret Conversation" and "Apocalypse Now", was awarded the Lumière Prize ten years after Clint Eastwood, the first film giant to be celebrated in Lyon. He succeeded actress Jane Fonda, who was awarded last year.
The American filmmaker also thanked Bong Joon-ho, who had explained how he had been marked by his films. Francis Ford Coppola emphasized that initiating vocations was "his ultimate goal".
"I've always felt that the greatest bonus that exists is that a young person sees one of my works and then decides that she wants to write a novel or make a film," he said. declared.
A "Night of the Godfather", with the screening of the three films of the cult saga, will take place on Saturday night at the Lumière Festival. The legendary "Apocalypse Now" on the Vietnam War will be screened on Sunday at the closing of the Festival, in a new version redesigned by the filmmaker for 40 years of the film.
© 2019 AFP