映画『アーティスト』出演犬、「パルム・ドッグの中のパルム・ドッグ賞」に選出

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】フランスのカンヌ国際映画祭で最も優秀な演技を披露した犬に贈られる「パルム・ドッグ」。このたび、歴代受賞犬たちの中からトップを決める試みが行われ、2011年の仏サイレント映画『アーティスト』に出演した犬のアギーが「パルム・ドッグの中のパルム・ドッグ賞」に選ばれた。（写真は米ニューヨークで訓練士のオマー・フォン・ムラー氏と記念撮影するアギー）
　アギーは『アーティスト』への出演で一躍有名となり、世界を魅了。２０１５年、１３歳で他界した。
　パルム・ドッグ賞はカンヌ国際映画祭の最高賞であるパルムドールをもじったもの。本来であれば今年の同映画祭授賞式は今週末に行われるはずだったが、新型コロナウイルスの影響により中止に。米アカデミー賞の授賞式も開催が危ぶまれている。
　ただ、パルム・ドッグの中のパルム・ドッグ賞の授賞式は先週２２日、非公式に行われ、アギーの友達で『アーティスト』にも出演した犬のダッシュが代役としてきらきらと輝く首輪を受け取った。
　パルム・ドッグ賞を創設したトビー・ローズ氏はアギーに賞を授与した理由について、２０年におよぶ同賞の歴史においてアギーが最も偉大な名優犬だっただけでなく、同賞を受賞後、世界各国での宣伝活動で受け取った首輪を堂々と着けていたことも一因だと述べた。
　ローズ氏は「毎年『今後、映画に犬が出演しない年があると思うか』と質問する記者がいる。われわれは２０年目を迎えるが、犬や監督たちは必ず作品を届けてくれる」と語った。
　実際クエンティン・タランティーノ監督は昨年、自身の作品『ワンス・アポン・ア・タイム・イン・ハリウッド』に出演したピット・ブル「ブランディー」でパルム・ドッグ賞を狙っていたと認めている。
　アギーの訓練士を務めたオマー・フォン・ムラー氏は、アギーの写真が多数飾られたロサンゼルス北部の自宅からＡＦＰの取材に応じ、パルム・ドッグ賞の受賞は『アーティスト』の起爆剤であったと同時に、アカデミー賞作品賞受賞というおとぎ話のような成功への足掛かりであったと述べた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/05/26-13:02）

Uggie the adorable terrier from the Oscar-winning film The Artist was posthumously awarded the Palm Dog of Palm Dogs Friday for the best canine performance ever at the Cannes film festival.
With the film world in mourning after Cannes was cancelled because of the coronavirus, the ceremony was conducted virtually, with Dash -- Uggie's old friend and understudy, who also appeared in the 2011 silent comedy -- accepting the diamante-encrusted collar on his behalf.
Uggie passed away five years ago aged 13 but not before charming the world after making his first big splash at Cannes.
The Palm Dog is the doggie version of the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, and almost as sought after, with Quentin Tarantino, Noah Baumbach and Jim Jarsmusch among a galaxy of top-dog directors who have emerged from the pack with the highly-prized collar between their teeth.
Cannes would have reached its climax this weekend had the coronavirus not struck, completely overturning the movie calendar and now even calling the Oscars into question.
- Cans of tinned rat -
Palm Dog founder Toby Rose told AFP that he decided to honour Uggie not just for being the greatest Hollywood hound in the Palm Dog's two-decade history, but for proudly wearing the collar on his worldwide publicity tour for the film.
Every single year a journalist will pose the question, 'Is there going to be a year with (films with) no dogs? We been doing this 19, coming on 20 years and dogs and directors never fail to come up with the goods, he added.
Indeed Tarantino admitted that he had his eye on the collar last year for my wonderful actress Brandy, a pit bull who liked to chomp cans of tinned rat and who savaged the baddies in the gory final scene of Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood.
I'm not going to give this to her -- it'll go on my mantelpiece, he proudly told AFP after the dog who very nearly upstaged Brad Pitt won the award.
Uggie's trainer Omar Von Muller, who also worked on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, said winning the Palm Dog was the launchpad for The Artist and its fairytale Oscar success.
At the time we really didn't know how the movie would do and that's when the whole thing started going everywhere, he told AFP from his home north of Los Angeles, which is festooned with portraits of Uggie.
- 'He loved the attention' -
Uggie was a very, very special friend. He was a family member... He loved to work and the attention he got on set. He will be in our hearts forever, Von Muller said.
Things like the Palm Dog are very important for us because it recognises the work dog trainers do, he said.
Van Muller said they were no secrets to training dogs other than having heart and passion and making sure the dogs enjoy what they're doing without ever being pressured... It starts very slowly, with a lot of patience and a lot love for the dogs.
Rose said the Palm Dog has since expanded its scope with its Dogmanitarian prize, honouring among others the British social realist master Ken Loach, who has made three-legged dogs a fixture in his films.
It represents the underdog, for which Loach has fought throughout his long career, Rose said.
Ken was so fabulously embracing of the idea and even told us about the castings, he told AFP.
Can you imagine, Rose joked, having to say to a three-legged dog, 'Sorry you ain't got the role.'