Merve Dizdal is the first Turkish woman to win Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival

Turkey’s Merve Dizdal won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for On Dry Grass (On Dry Grass).

The drama focuses on a young teacher who has just completed a mandatory assignment in a small village in eastern Turkiye and wants to move to Istanbul, a large city in Turkey. The film, co-produced by Turkish public broadcaster TRT and France’s ARTE, premiered on Friday. Over 3 hours long, the film stars Deniz Seliroglu, Merve Dizdal, Musab Ekishi and Eje Bakju.

Best director was awarded to Vietnam-born French film director and screenwriter Tran Anh Hung for “Pot-au-feu” (“La Passion De Dodin Bouffant”). Set in 1885, the film depicts the romance between a cook and the gourmet she works for.

French director Justin Triet won the Palme d’Or for Anatomy of the Fall.

A total of 19 films were nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, which opened on Tuesday.

Japan’s Yuji Sakamoto won Best Screenplay for Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster.

The Cannes Film Festival is held annually in Cannes, France, and screens new films of all genres, including documentaries, from around the world.