Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are in the elite group of two-time Palme d'Or winners, with Rosetta in 1999 and The Child in 2005. They also appeared in Competition with The Son in 2002 (winning best actor for Olivier Gourmet) and agree that Cannes helped cement their reputations.

What did it feel like to win the Palme d'Or'
It was a wonderful surprise for us both times.

How did you celebrate'
For Rosetta, we celebrated with the team drinking beer on the Majestic's terrace until 4am. For The Child we celebrated in the office of our international distributor, Hengameh Panahi, also drinking beers all night.

How did the wins affect your career'
They allowed our films to have worldwide distribution. The Child has now been released in more than 40 countries. Without Cannes our movies wouldn't have the same fame.

Did it make it easier to attract funding for subsequent projects'
Yes, definitely. But it is important to note that our budgets are relatively low. Our next movie won't exceed $5.4m (EUR4m).

Where do you keep your Palme d'Or'
In our hearts.

To whom would you give an all-time Palme d'Or'
Charlie Chaplin.

What have been the most important shifts in the industry during your career'
From the technical point of view, cutting scenes in the editing suite is now a lot easier thanks to advances in computer technology. And digital and high definition have meant that the quality of film is better, and it is cheaper and easier to use. From the financial point of view, European funding schemes such as Eurimages are really helping.