The 75th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival kicked off with great pomp with the intention of regaining leadership in everything related to art and glamor in the film world, altered during two years of crisis caused by the ravages of Covid -19.
The biggest names in the world of cinema agreed to join a particularly privileged jury (with eminent directors such as the Iranian Asghar Farhadi or the Romanian Cristian Mungiu and others). The same climate of Cannes (usually rainy at this time) collaborated with summer temperatures and radiant sun to the delight of all. Until now, the opening ceremony alone has monopolized the comments about the event. And it became especially committed and emotional when the veteran French actor and director Vincent Lindo (recommended on multiple occasions at Cannes with the Palme d’Or for best actor in 2015 for his role in La Ley del Mercado or his starring role in Titane, the year past winner of the Palme d’Or for the best film) in his capacity as president of the Jury of the Official Selection and the short films delivered his presentation speech. His words and his emotion seized everyone who heard him (inside and outside the grounds of the Festival Palace). And shocking to say the least, when he wanted to “evoke from this platform that concentrates in a short time all the torments of a planet that bleeds, that suffers, suffocates and burns, in the midst of the indifference of the powers.”
Also, it made an impact when he asked if in this Festival that consecrates the world’s attention, “Should the notoriety of the event, however modest it may be, be used to carry loud and strong the word of the ‘voiceless’, or on the contrary refuse to publicly express a position on domains in which we have no legitimacy or particular competence?
A question that disturbs due to its relevance and to which Vincent Lindon ends up confessing: “I have no answer”. However, and even in the midst of doubts and confusion, the Festival continues its sacred mission of freedom, its reason for being when it was created in the midst of World War II to fight against fascism and Nazism, which sought to deform art in order to convert it. as an instrument of propaganda.
Vincent Lindon also clarified that the Cannes Festival does not require more than “the sole requirement of quality” and the importance of “being alive and knowing it”. Inspiring speech to which the media gave its widest coverage.
Another emotional moment during the opening ceremony was the video sent by the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, to denounce the unjustified invasion of his country by Russia. He did it by remembering Charlie Chaplin for his movie The Dictator and quoting a retort from Robert Duval in the movie Apocalypse Now when he says: “I like the smell of napalm, early in the morning”, which sums up all the misery of war .
Despite the emotion and political commitments, the Cannes Film Festival never neglects its ‘glamor’ side that lightens the atmosphere and sows joy and distraction. The glamorous quota so far has been carried out with the participation of beautiful and famous actors and actresses decked out and climbing the stairs of the Festival Palace on the mythical red carpet. Among them, Tom Cruise, who came to present another stainless Top Gun-Maverick. Beautiful, rejuvenated (I don’t know how he does it) and very generous, handing out autographs, smiles and ‘selfies’ amid the joy of his admirers.
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