Hollywood star John Travolta received a surprise honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival ahead of the premiere of his directorial debut, ‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’.
The prestigious award, regarded as Cannes’ lifetime achievement honour, prompted Travolta to say the moment was “beyond the Oscar”.
Visibly overwhelmed, Travolta addressed the audience partly in French, saying, “Complete surprise! I can’t believe this. This is the last thing I expected.” Turning to Cannes director Thierry Frémaux, he added, “You said this would be a special night, but I didn’t know it would mean this.”
Travolta thanked Frémaux for accepting his film into the festival line-up, revealing that he became emotional months earlier when he learned the movie had been selected unusually early by Cannes.
“I cried like a baby,” he admitted, praising Frémaux as one of the industry’s most discerning figures.
The film, backed by Apple TV+, is based on Travolta’s 1997 children’s book and is deeply autobiographical. Set during the golden age of aviation, the story follows a young aeroplane enthusiast and his mother on a journey to Hollywood.
Travolta described it as the “most personal film” of his career. The cast includes his daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta.
During a post-screening conversation, Travolta credited his family with shaping both his life and career. He shared that the film’s lead character was inspired by his late sister Ellen and his mother, both of whom deeply influenced his dreams and ambitions.
Travolta previously attended Cannes with ‘Pulp Fiction’, which famously won the Palme d’Or in 1994.
Propeller One-Way Night Coach will stream on Apple TV+ on May 29.
