PARIS, May 21, 2006/ FW/ --- In Cannes today, ‘Wong Kar Kai, the first Chinese Jury President of the Festival de Cannes was given the rank of Knight of the Legion of Honour by the Culture and Communication Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres in the Café des Palmes,’ as revealed at the Cannes Film Festival website.

Accepting his knighthood, the director of ‘Happy Together’ wherein he won ‘Best Director” at Cannes in 1997 said, "I shall never forget this moment of joy and emotion. I express my gratitude to the French public for their support."

A native of Shanghai, China, Wong Kar Kai moved to Hong Kong with his family at the age of five wherein he spent his formative years, the city being the focal point in most of his works.

As Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres quoted when presenting Wong Kar Kai his award, "Your genius illuminates the screens of the whole world with colours, perfumes and sounds of Hong Kong, that city which captivates you," it was that Hong Kong recognized Wong’s talent as a director.

In 1990, Wong’s film, ‘Days of Being Wild,’ depicting the youth of that mythical Hong Kong of the 60s, won the five top prizes at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Chungking Express (1994) was the first of his films to break through into wide international distribution. His last three films, Happy Together (1997), In the Mood for Love (2000) and 2046 (2004) were all presented in Competition at the Festival de Cannes.

The Cannes Film Festival opened last May 17th and will go on until May 28th. As President of the Jury, Mr. Wong Kar Wai presided over the opening ceremonies last Wednesday wherein he wore a tuxedo from Louis Vuitton