The Cannes Film Festival begins this Tuesday, May 14, with a potentially stormy 77th edition. The opening ceremony will take place from 7 p.m., in the presence of the jury. Here are the highlights that will mark this 2024 vintage.
• May 14: opening ceremony
Like every year, the festival will attract its share of big screen stars to the red carpet. Starting with the members of the jury, headed this year by the actress and director Greta Gerwig and made up of Omar Sy and Eva Green, but also by Nadine Labaki, Juan Antonio Bayona, Ebru Ceylan, the Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino and Kore-eda Hirokaz.
American actress Meryl Streep will receive an honorary Palme d’Or during the opening night.
The opening ceremony is led by Camille Cottin, this year’s master of ceremonies. Asked on France 2 about the possibility of a political message linked to the #MeToo movement, the actress responded “probably” and added: “There are very powerful women due to their personality, their energy, their intellect and their talent who will take the initiative.” stage. When I say probably, I don’t know what they will say yet, but there will be a lot of women on stage.
The festival opens this year with Quentin Dupieux’s film, the second actwith Léa Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Raphaël Quenard and Louis Garrel.
• May 15: screening of “Me Too” by Judith Godrèche
The short film titled Me tooby actress and director Judith Godrèche, who has become a spearhead in the fight against sexual violence in French cinema, will be screened on May 15, during the opening ceremony of Certain Regard.
This short film was made after Judith Godrèche’s powerful speech during the César ceremony, where she denounced the “level of impunity, denial and privilege” in the film industry in relation to sexual violence.
Seven years after the start of #MeToo in the United States, the movement is resurfacing in France, between the trial of actor Gérard Depardieu in October and the freedom of expression movement relaunched by Judith Godrèche.
The National Assembly created a commission of inquiry into the situation of minors in cinema, performing arts and fashion, giving content to a request from the actress.
Also this May 15, Mad Max will return to the Croisette. nine years later Mad Max: Fury Roadthe new part of the George Miller saga, furiouswith Anja Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, will be screened out of competition and in preview at Cannes.
• May 16: screening of Coppola’s latest film
This is perhaps the most anticipated film on the Croisette: Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola’s latest film, will be screened on Thursday, May 16. In preparation for 40 years, this film with a pharaonic budget of 120 million dollars – for which Coppola mortgaged his vineyards – features Adam Driver as the architect. The actor is surrounded by an impressive cast: Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurence Fishburne, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.
Francis Ford Coppola’s chance to win, 50 years later secret conversation and 45 years later Apocalypse now leave with a third Palme d’Or.
• May 25, closing ceremony
Camille Cottin will also be in charge of presenting the closing ceremony of the festival. A closing ceremony that will begin earlier than usual, at 6:45 p.m., to give way to the final match of the French Cup at 8:40 p.m.
This afternoon George Lucas will receive the honorary Palme d’Or.
• Possible social movements
Although the clicking of cameras usually constitutes the soundtrack of the meeting, this year social discontent can be heard. A collective of film workers calls for a strike “of all employees of the Cannes Festival and parallel sections” in order to “disturb” them.
The organizers of the Festival and parallel sections have opened the door to dialogue with the affected film workers. Deploring the increasing precariousness of their jobs, projectionists, programmers, press officers, box office managers, employees throughout the year at various festivals, ask to be able to benefit from the status of intermittent entertainment workers, of which they are deprived.
Furthermore, on Monday, the eve of the festival’s opening, 7,000 artists signed a open letter demand better remuneration for artists on streaming platforms. An initiative reminiscent of the movement that paralyzed Hollywood last year.
In this letter, actors and musicians denounce the “meager and only package” they receive from streaming platforms, regardless of the number of streams and the duration of availability.
The possibility of a strike cannot be ruled out if it is not mentioned. “We are close to the Cannes festival and I feel that anger is increasing. Many actors seem ready to mobilize, particularly those in daily series,” Anne Bouvier, president of Adami, told Le Parisien.
Source: BFM TV
