With the exception of De rouille et d'os (2012), all of his films that were screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival have won an award over there. Rust and Bone was highly acclaimed at the festival and received a 10-minute standing ovation.
Un prophète (2009) is maybe the point at which I began to feel uncomfortable with the French casting system. I felt like I needed to direct other faces, other skin colors, other ways of speaking and thinking, other forms of expression from what we are used to seeing.[2015]
