A withering indictment of American social values, written and directed by a man who has never set foot in America, Lars von Trier’s Dogville is an ambitious provocation. With an all-star cast led by Nicole Kidman, this epic Brechtian drama is a raw examination of small-town hypocrisy and prejudice.

The ultimate postmodern musical, von Trier’s quirky genre hybrid hinges on a ravishing performance by Icelandic pop star Björk, which makes the most of her innocent vitality. This idiosyncratic fantasy and overpowering tearjerker took home the Palme d’Or at Cannes, along with Best Actress for Björk!

Nine agonizing years after Morvern Callar, Lynne Ramsay returned to Cannes with another acclaimed literary adaptation. Radically reimagining the nature-or-nurture novel, Ramsay—and star Tilda Swinton—transform the text into a chilling film rightfully venerated for its unforgettable visual language.