Wong Kar wai(L-3) and his wife, and actress Zhang Ziyi(R)

Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai was praised for inventing a new language of cinema as he was inducted into the French Legion of Honor on Sunday.

Wong Kar-wai and French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres

The "In the Mood for Love" director was named a knight of the Legion of Honor at the Cannes Film Festival. 　　

"You invented a new form of cinema, a new language, a new form of writing in ink and in lighting, which have moved audiences and paved the way for a new generation of filmmakers," French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres said. 　

The filmmaker thanked the festival and French audiences, saying he would "always remember this moment today with honor and devotion." 　　

Wong heads the festival jury that hands out awards May 28 and is a familiar face at Cannes, where his film "Happy Together" won the best director prize in 1997.