Mops from Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola wins the Palm Dog 2006
Mops in Marie Antoinette
Winners
- Palm Dog: Mops in Marie Antoinette – directed by Sofia Coppola
- Grand Jury Prize: Schumann in Pingpong – directed by Matthias Luthardt
The Jury
- Peter Bradshaw - The Guardian
- James Christopher - The Times
- Charles Gant - Heat
- Derek Malcolm - The Evening Standard
- Hamish McAlpine - Producer
Awarded for a symbolic role
Even the smallest roles can be significant in a film. This is what Peter Bradshaw, James Christopher, and the rest of the jury thought when awarding the 2006 Palm Dog to Mops, the adorable pug from Sofia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette.
Beloved companion of the future queen, little Mops is cruelly torn from his mistress’s arms as she reaches the border before marrying the heir to the French throne. This performance carries strong symbolic meaning: by leaving her dog behind, Marie Antoinette is stripped of the most important element of her Austrian identity. Crossing the border, she becomes 100% French property.
Palm Dog T-shirts and a beautifully groomed little poodle © Toby Rose
Jean-Christophe Bouvet with Mutley, fascinated by a treat. © Toby Rose
A ceremony combining award presentation and short film screening
Celebrated for the strong emotional impact he brings to the film, Marie Antoinette’s adorable dog faced fierce competition that year.
Contenders included the Bulldog from Andrea Arnold's Red Road, the three-legged dog from Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes the Barley, and Schumann, the Schnauzer from Matthias Luthardt’s Pingpong. Schumann ultimately won the Grand Jury Prize for his moving performance in this German drama where he plays a tragic victim.
The 2006 edition also gave the audience the opportunity to watch the short film that inspired the creation of the Palm Dog in 2001: ID Crisis, starring Toby Rose’s famous dog Mutt and French actor Jean-Christophe Bouvet.
The 2006 Selection
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Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola
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Pingpong by Matthias Luthardt
