The opening gala of the event gave the floor to the Ukrainian president, who appealed to the film world’s commitment to dictators
The 75th Cannes Film Festival gave the floor to Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky during the opening gala on Tuesday, who asked via video conference for the commitment of the film world against ‘the dictators’. We need a new (Charlie) Chaplin to show that cinema is not silent,” he declared before an audience of Seventh Art stars who applauded and stood up. Dressed in a military shirt, he recalled that the competition was born just a year after World War II, and “just like then, a struggle for freedom is being waged today.”
“Will the cinema remain silent or will it raise its voice? Can the cinema stay out of this?” asked the Ukrainian leader, who intervened remotely at the beginning of April at the 64th edition of the Grammys. Zelensky’s speech set a definitive political tone for a festival that had already announced that Ukraine would take a special place this year, featuring multiple filmmakers from that country and even films shot during the current conflict, such as “Mariupolis 2,” a posthumous work of the Lithuanian Mantas Kvedaravicius, who was killed by Russian gunfire in Ukraine last month.
“There are realities that crush everything,” said the presenter of the gala, Belgian actress Virginie Efira. Although Cannes begins with a desire for fun, the atmosphere will have to be “dignified, respectful (…) if only as a tribute to those who live much more complicated days than we do”, asked the president of the jury , the French actor Vincent Lindon, for the press shortly before the traditional red carpet parade. Lindon, a left-wing actor, also delivered a powerful speech, invoking the danger of “fascism” and calling for a dedication to the seventh art.
Cannes returns in 2022 with no health restrictions and thousands of guests, ready to mix glamor with claims. This Tuesday, Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker received an honorary Palme d’Or at the age of 60. The competition for the top prize of the competition opens with 21 films in competition, reflecting a balance between commercial cinema and author cinema.
This Wednesday, the festival will give way to Hollywood with the participation of Tom Cruise, who will present a new episode of “Top Gun”, an emblematic film of the 80s. Other moments expected in this edition will be the film “Elvis” by director Baz in the lead role. Luhrmann about the king of rock’n’roll and David Cronenberg with ‘Crimes of the future’, for fans of gory cinema. Among others, the Russian Kirill Serebrennikov, critical of the Moscow government, the French Claire Denis, the experienced Belgian Dardenne brothers and the Spaniard Albert Serra, the only representative of Ibero-American cinema, compete for the Palme d’Or.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
