"Amour" wins Palme d'Or top prize at Cannes

Starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuel Riva, two French legendary stars both in their 80s, the two-hour film tells a story of an old man looking after his frail wife hit by a stroke, with actress Isabelle Huppert as the daughter.

"Thanks to my wonderful actors. They are the essence of it," said Haneke on the stage in his acceptance speech. He also thanked the jury for giving him the opportunity to "be part of the prestigious competition" as well as his wife for supporting him for many years.

It has been the second time for Haneke to win the Palme d'Or since "The White Ribbon" in 2009, thus joining the elite club of several directors taking the prize home twice.

"It is a tender film...I am a big fan of the film," said British director Andrea Arnold at the following press conference who is a jury member.

The nine-strong jury is headed by Italian director and Palme d'Or winner Nanni Moretti, who also revealed that none of the awards had been handed out unanimously.

"I have rarely seen such powerful images...and such sincerity," said Haitian director Raoul Peck who is also a jury member, adding that many images remained in his mind.

The second-place grand prize went to Matteo Garrone's "Reality" while the third-place jury prize was given to Ken Loach's "The Angels' Share" as the 12-day top movie showcase ended here on a rainy evening.