CANNES , France ( CNN ) -- After eleven days , hundreds of screenings and thousands of snaps from the paparazzi , there could only be one Palme d'Or winner . Austrian director Michael Haneke hugs the president of the Cannes jury , French actress Isabelle Huppert . `` The White Ribbon , '' by Austrian director Michael Haneke , was awarded the prize for its depiction of the cruel punishments meted out at a rural German school before the First World War . `` The Palme d'Or is the best prize a filmmaker can win , '' said Haneke at a press conference following his award . `` I am not proud , but I am very happy . In my opinion , it 's silly to be proud . '' It was a case of fifth time lucky for Haneke , who has previously been nominated for the award for `` Funny Games '' ( 1997 ) , `` Code Unknown '' ( 2000 ) , `` The Piano Teacher '' ( 2001 ) and `` Hidden '' ( 2005 ) . `` There are always rumors at the festival , and one must not take them seriously , '' the director said . `` When I presented `` Hidden '' [ in 2005 ] , everyone was telling me I was going to win the Palme . And I did n't get it . '' Jury president Isabelle Huppert , the French actress who won the best actress prize at the 2001 festival for `` The Piano Teacher , '' said she was delighted to have the chance to honor her former director . `` I think I always loved him as a director , and that 's why I 've worked with him before , '' she said at the post-awards press conference . `` To me , the movie is very philosophical . And his style , and his direction are totally ethical in my mind . That 's what I wanted to reward . '' The American actress Robin Wright Penn , who also sat on the festival jury , laughed off rumors that the decision was hotly disputed . `` There have been rumors circulating that we were fighting in the room , '' she told the press conference . `` The beauty about loving each other ... [ is that ] we could disagree , and we still love each other . I felt like we built a consensus among us , '' she said . `` It was like being on `` Big Brother , '' except you could go to the movies , '' added British screenwriter and fellow juror Hanif Kureishi . `` Some of the films are very long , '' he joked . Elsewhere , Charlotte Gainsbourg won the best actress prize for her shocking turn in Lars von Trier 's `` Antichrist , '' featuring scenes of genital mutilation that left audiences stunned . Christolph Waltz won best actor for his role in Quentin Tarantino 's `` Inglourious Basterds , '' while Brillante Mendoza secured the best director gong for `` Kinatay . '' The jury prize was shared by Korean auteur Park Chan-Wook 's vampire film `` Thirst , '' and Andrea Arnold 's `` Fish Tank , '' while the grand prix went to `` The Prophet , '' by director Jacques Audiard .
` ` The White Wolf , '' by Austrian director Michael Mann , wins Cannes . Haneke : Palme , is the best award a filmmaker can win . Jury president , Robin Wright ##son , dismisses that they were split over winner .