The honorary award is handed out by the French Directors Guild since 2002 to one of their peers that show an independent-mindedness, innovation and audacity through their work. In their letter to Kaurismäki, the SRF said: “Your stories are inspired fables about the forgotten, misfits and immoderate, those who do not have the user manual guide. You film them with care, precision and grandeur, without ever giving up fiction, poetry, or even burlesque….Your films are often melancholic but never overwhelming. They always end up finding the light that illuminates the darkest of nights and darkest inclinations.”

Past recipients include AgnèsVarda, Clint Eastwood, Nanni Moretti, David Cronenberg and Jim Jarmusch. Last time Kaurismäki was in Cannes was in 2011 with his film that received the Louis Delluc Prize.

The director is preparing a new film inspired by the refugee crisis that should start filming in the autumn for his company Sputnik. Detailed will be announced late April.