Zelenskyy alluded to Charlie Chaplin’s classic film The Great Dictator and said: “In the end hatred will disappear and the dictators will die”. Chaplin’s work, which premiered in 1940, is still considered a particularly effective satire against Adolf Hitler.
“We need a new Chaplin to prove that the film world is not silent,” Zelenskyy said. Referring to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, he asked: “Will the film world remain silent or will it speak out?” The audience acknowledged his speech with a standing ovation.
At the opening of the festival, the French jury president Vincent Lindon, the German actress Emilia Schüle, the US model Eva Longoria and the Spanish actress Rossy De Palma posed in front of the photographers on the red carpet in Cannes in summer temperatures. 21 films are represented in the competition for the Palme d’Or this year.
The 2020 festival was canceled due to the pandemic and took place last summer. Masks are no longer compulsory this year. However, selfies and other photos taken with mobile phones remain prohibited.
The festival is not only marked by the Ukraine war because of Zelenskyj’s speech. “We strive to be upstanding and respectful, even as a tribute to those who are going through far worse times than we are,” Lindon said.
In Cannes, both the Ukrainian director Sergei Losniza and the Russian Kirill Serebrennikow will be presenting their new films. Serebrennikov, who now lives in Berlin, has been prevented from traveling to the festival by the Russian authorities in recent years.
The last film by filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravicius will also be shown. The Lithuanian was shot dead in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in April. He was in the embattled port city to document alleged Russian war crimes.
Only five of the entries were directed by women – and this is already a record for the festival. Among them is “Les Amandiers” by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, which tells the story of theater students in the 1980s.
Among the stars awaiting red carpet photographers throughout the festival is Tom Cruise, who stars in the sequel to cult film Top Gun. French actress Léa Seydoux and US actress Kristen Stewart star in a science fiction film directed by Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg.
On Wednesday evening, Tom Cruise is to present “Top Gun: Maverick” on the Croisette – the continuation of the cult strip from 1986. On Friday Marie Kreutzer’s Sisi drama “Corsage” will celebrate its world premiere in the renowned series “Un certain regard”. No Austrian film is represented in the international competition this year.
Cannes is considered one of the most important film festivals in the world, it lasts until May 28th. It could not take place in 2020 due to the pandemic, in 2021 it was postponed from May to July. This year, it seems, the pandemic is no longer playing such a big role. The organizers ask visitors to wear masks and even distribute masks with the film festival logo. However, at least at the beginning of the festival, these were not visible on many faces.
The festival awards will be presented next Saturday. Hollywood star Forest Whitaker is to receive an honorary palm tree for his life’s work.