Hollywood veteran Faye Dunaway became teary eyed as she was honoured for her career at the Cannes Film Festival in France on Sunday (15May11).
The Chinatown star was handed an Order of Arts and Letters at a star-studded ceremony held at the Cafe des Palmes.
As Cultural Minister Frederic Mitterand gave her the honour, Dunaway welled up and told the crowd, "This I will treasure. I have a new dream, and I am working on my new film as a director and as an actress.
"For me, acting is a kind of comfort and satisfaction, but it's never the wind in my hair, as Meryl Streep said. It's anguish, because it's a war to make a film - you have to take the fire and prevail, as Faulkner said, so you have to be very strong."
Festival artistic director Thierry Fremaux said, "She has one of the most wonderful filmographies of any actress. Look at her movies from the '70s for example - she only made good choices. She's had an incredible career."