Congratulations to Tom McCarthy and the all the folks behind The Visitor, which yesterday took the top prize at the 34th Deauville Film Festival. I like to think of The Visitor as the little independent film that could: Aside from universal accolades from critics and audiences, it has brought humanity, as well as a new voice and heightened awareness to the “hot button” issue of U.S. immigration policy. Reuters/The Hollywood Reporter reports that in collecting his Grand Prix trophy, McCarthy underlined the political intent of the film, saying that he “believes in the power of art to effect change”.
I couldn’t agree more.