The Golden Palm – that small piece of gold in Cannes that decides fame and legends

Every year the Croisette is governed by the same strange order of attention. Photographers chase after Hollywood stars, critics dissect films down to the smallest detail, producers negotiate millions behind closed doors. And yet in the end everything focuses on an object hardly larger than the palm of a hand: the Golden Palm. It gleams behind glass showcases like a shrine. Anyone who walks through the Palais des Festivals during…