The Palme d’or goes to Chopard
The Palme d’or
The prestigious trophy is awarded to the winner of the Best Film category at the Cannes International Film Festival every year. In 1997, Pierre Viot, then President of the Festival met Caroline Scheufele. He was so charmed by the creativity and energy of Chopard’s Co-President, that he asked her to redesign the Palme d’Or. Since 1998, Chopard’s craftsmen make a unique Palme d’Or every year.
Caroline Scheufele offered a new interpretation of the famous trophy awarded to the best film of the Festival: a delicately curved 18ct gold stem with a small heart at its base, reminiscent of the symbol of the firm. The stem is adorned with leaves appearing to have been caught in mid-motion and it rests on a crystal cushion shaped like an emerald-cut diamond. This precious detail makes each Palme d’Or unique, for Mother Nature never creates two identical crystals…
In 2000, the symbolic object was joined by two additional Palmes, identical replicas of the Palme d’Or only smaller. They are presented every year to the Best Actress and Best Actor staring in a competing movie. In 2011, the Palme d’Honneur, previously awarded sporadically, has become a yearly tradition. This sister to the Palme d’Or, mounted on a smoked crystal, is from then on awarded every year at the beginning of the Festival to an important director never before honoured in Cannes. All these trophies are hand crafted every year in the workshops of Chopard by its craftsmen. Synonymous with talent and recognition, the emblem of the most famous Cinema Festival is henceforth inextricably linked to the story of Chopard.
For the past 15 years, Chopard has been engaged in a passionate romance with the Cannes International Film Festival. To mark this anniversary during this year’s festival fortnight, the watchmaker-jeweller is organising a photo exhibition of the most beautiful movie kisses, as well as unveiling other marvels including its new Haute Joaillerie Red Carpet collection. The latter is partially dedicated to the theme of love and features diamonds, sparkling coloured stones, floral motifs – and of course plenty of interwoven hearts.
It all began in 1997 when Pierre Viot, the then President of the Festival, asked Caroline Scheufele, Chopard’s Co-President and Artistic Director, to redesign the Palme d’Or trophy. The next year, in 1998, when the prize for the best film in the competition was awarded, the public discovered a Palme d’Or of unprecedented beauty featuring a gold stem resting on a heart-shaped base symbolising the House of Chopard and its love for film-making.
The Geneva-based watchmaker-jeweller and the Festival united their destinies through this work of art and have remained inseparable ever since. Chopard annually produces the Palme d’Or in its workshops, adorns stars for the famous ‘mounting of the steps’ ritual, rewards up-and-coming talents in the world of film-making and organises some of the hottest-ticket soirées of the festival fortnight. In doing so, it has become an emblematic protagonist on the world’s greatest stage for that magical blend of cinema and glamour.
In Love With Cinema, a photo exhibition of the finest movie kisses
The first kiss in film-making history dating back to 1896; Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant’s embrace in Notorious, and the red-hot scenes between Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas in Basic Instinct are just some of the moments of silver-screen passion that Chopard and Canal + will offer a chance to relive in the In Love With Cinema photo exhibition. On show in the Chopard Lounge on the top floor of the Hotel Martinez and on the Canal + Patio, near the Palais des Festivals, these pictures of cult couples in film-making history will be assembled during the 66th Cannes Film Festival.
Red Carpet 2013 Collection
Chopard loves actresses. It was with them in mind that Caroline Scheufele created the first Haute Joaillerie Red Carpet Collection in 2007. Since then, it has become a yearly tradition for Chopard to unveil the latest creations in its collection at the Cannes Film Festival. These one-of-a-kind models crafted in the jeweller’s workshops adorn stars for the nightly “mounting of the steps” ritual. This year, in honour of the festival’s 66th edition, the collection will welcome 66 original and exclusive new releases. Notably inspired by the theme of love, Caroline Scheufele has designed shimmering jewellery creations sparkling with precious stones and graced with heart cuts as well as floral motifs. “Diamonds continue to rule the red carpet”, she adds, and they will definitely once again be in the spotlight within the Red Carpet Collection.
