Mike Leigh, whose personality is rarely characterised as being markedly sunny or forgiving, took special delight in thanking the organisers of the Cannes Film Festival when his new film, Vera Drake, a tale of back-street abortionists set in 1950s England, took the top prize at Venice last week writes Donald Clarke.

Not since 1992, when Zhang Yimou's The Story of Qiu Ju triumphed, has a film that was turned down by Cannes won the Golden Lion.

Earlier in the evening, Peter Foott's hugely ingenious Irish short The Carpenter and his Clumsy Wife received an official special mention, suggesting that it must have come close to winning Best Short. We demand a recount.