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A Star-Studded Opening: Cannes Film Festival’s 77th Edition Shines Amid Controversies and Celebrations
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CANNES, France (AP) — Beneath intermittent rainy skies, the Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday with the presentation of an honorary Palme d’Or for Meryl Streep and the unveiling of Greta Gerwig’s jury, as the French Riviera spectacular kicked off a potentially volatile 77th edition.
A 10-day stream of stars began flowing down the Cannes’ red carpet with the opening night film, “The Second Act,” a French comedy starring Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel, and Raphaël Quenard. They play squabbling actors filming a movie directed by artificial intelligence. The festival’s first lengthy standing ovation, however, was reserved for Streep, who was awarded an honorary Palme d’Or during Tuesday’s opening ceremony.
Introduced by Juliette Binoche, Streep alternated between shaking her head, fanning herself, and dancing while the crowd thunderously cheered. “I’m just so grateful that you haven’t gotten sick of my face and you haven’t gotten off of the train,” Streep said. She declared Cannes officially open alongside Binoche and reflected on the passage of time, quoting her mother: “Meryl, my darling, you’ll see. It all goes so fast. So fast. And it has, and it does. Except for my speech, which is too long.”
The reception for Greta Gerwig, who made history as the first American female filmmaker to serve as president of the Cannes jury, was nearly as rapturous. Praised by Cannes artistic director Thierry Fremaux as “the ideal director” for the festival, Gerwig’s work spans both arthouse and studio film and shows a keen interest in cinema history. Fremaux added, “We very much liked ‘Barbie.’”
In the days to come, Cannes will showcase many high-profile films, including George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed “Megalopolis,” and anticipated new movies from Paolo Sorrentino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold, and Kevin Costner. However, much of the drama surrounding this year’s Cannes has been off screen.
Following accusations of rape and sexual abuse by French actor Judith Godrèche against two film directors, the French film industry is experiencing a significant #MeToo moment. Godrèche’s short film “Moi Aussi” (Me Too) will premiere on Wednesday. Gerwig, addressing the expansion of the #MeToo movement in France, noted its progress, stating, “I think people in the community of movies telling us stories and trying to change things for the better is only good. I have seen substantive change in the American film community, and I think it’s important that we continue to expand that conversation.”
Gerwig is joined on the jury by notable figures including Lily Gladstone, star of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” French actor Eva Green, Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, French actor Omar Sy, Lebanese actor and director Nadine Labaki, Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter Ebru Ceylan, and Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino.
Lily Gladstone expressed a mix of excitement and trepidation in taking on her jury duties, saying, “I thought I just got over my imposter syndrome last year. But I’ll start all over again.”
The jurors discussed the impact of real-world issues on their deliberations. Labaki emphasized the transformative power of cinema in addressing societal problems, stating, “I truly believe that one of the tools to really change something in the situation we all live in right now is really through art and through cinema. It may propose a more tolerant way of seeing things and seeing each other as human beings.” Favino added, “Filmmakers play the important role of reminding the world of where it can find beauty. This is why I decided that I could be here without feeling guilty as a human being. Because if we look for beauty, then we might look for peace.”
Other concerns loom over this year’s festival. Festival workers, protesting short-term contracts that leave them unqualified for unemployment benefits between festivals, threatened to strike. Small bands of festival workers staged protests during the opening ceremony, including one group that unfurled a banner from the roof of the Palais.
Meanwhile, Iranian filmmaker Mohammed Rasoulof, whose film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is premiering next week in competition, fled Iran following a sentencing of eight years in prison and flogging. His film is a critical depiction of the Iranian regime.
As Cannes progresses, many will focus on the stars gracing the festival’s iconic red carpet. Luminaries such as Emma Stone, Anya Taylor-Joy, Demi Moore, Selena Gomez, Nicolas Cage, and Barry Keoghan are slated to appear. The closing ceremony on May 25 will see George Lucas receive an honorary Palme d’Or.
The 77th Cannes Film Festival strives to live up to its predecessor. Last year, celebrated for its robust lineup, produced three Oscar best picture nominees: “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest,” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” A successful Cannes will keep France in the global spotlight through the summer, followed by the French Open, the Tour de France, and the Summer Olympics in Paris. On May 21, the Olympic flame will be carried up the steps to the festival’s hub, the Palais des Festivals.
To reignite the spirit of last year’s festival, Messi, the canine star of “Anatomy of a Fall,” was the first to hit the red carpet. The border collie, enlisted to film daily snippets for French TV, frolicked up and down the carpet while tuxedo-clad photographers hollered “Messi! Messi!”
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