"Farewell My Concubine" directed by Chen Kaige in 1993 [File photo]

1993

Director Chen Kaige snatched the Golden Palm (Palme d'Or) with the epic "Farewell My Concubine." The film became a milestone for Chinese-language films and the first one to ever win a Palme d'Or. The story of "Farewell My Concubine" spans 53 years, presenting the lives of two male Chinese opera stars against the historical backdrop of a country in upheaval.

At the same time, "The Puppetmaster" by Hou Hsiao-hsien won the Jury Prize in Cannes in 1993. Based on the memoirs of Li Tian-lu, Taiwan's most celebrated puppeteer, this story covers the years from Li's birth in 1909 to the end of Japan's 50-year occupation of Taiwan in 1945.