By now it should be clear that the selections in the official selection are carefully chosen for matching themes each day. 'Motorcycle Diaries' and 'Exils' both deal with returning to the past through landscape and cinema, mentalities of the time. For Walter Salles, its a return to 1952 and the diaries of Che Guavara, but also a way of looking at the exploited and underdeveloped Latin America of today. Tony Gatlif returns to present day Algeria as a way of coming to terms with his life in France today: "I wanted to look at the scars and the physical material of the Mediterranean".
Gael Garcia Bernal who plays Che said he has no problem kissing men in films --but its harder to wear high heels and speak with a Spanish accent during an entire film. The outspoken actor that made a brave presentation at the Oscars last year opposing war says he doesn't care about homophobic audiences. "If the roles destroy my chances in Hollywood so be it".

As the festival draws to a close, all that remains to be seen is 'Clean', a story of a woman who tries to get clean (Maggie Cheung) and 'The Life and Times of Peter Sellers', starring Charlize Theron, who had to 'pretty up' for the role of Britt Eklund and has no problem kissing women.

And the Palmares go to.......


Moira Sullivan