Cannes rolled out the red carpet on Tuesday as Hollywood stars arrived for the start of the world’s premier film festival. This year’s event is notable for unfolding against the backdrop of a daring escape by a director from Iran and fresh #MeToo allegations.
The 12-day festival officially begins in the evening with an honorary award for Meryl Streep, alongside other A-list celebrities such as George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola.
Coppola’s highly anticipated epic, “Megalopolis”—an Ancient Rome-inspired saga set in a corrupt modern city—is a leading contender for this year’s Palme d’Or. Festival head Thierry Fremaux praised the 85-year-old director, stating, “Cannes is important to him and he is important to Cannes.”
Twenty-two films are competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or, with the jury led by “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig. Gerwig expressed her excitement, saying, “I’m pinching myself. This is a marvel.”
Richard Gere will star in Paul Schrader’s “Oh Canada,” recent Oscar winner Emma Stone reunites with Yorgos Lanthimos in “Kinds of Kindness,” and Demi Moore explores horror in “The Substance.”
Beyond the Palme d’Or race, George Miller’s latest “Mad Max” installment, “Furiosa,” will have its world premiere on Wednesday, while Kevin Costner returns to the Western genre with “Horizon, an American Saga.”
However, darker news has emerged on the eve of the festival’s 77th edition. In a dramatic turn, director Mohammad Rasoulof, who is also competing for the Palme d’Or, announced he had secretly escaped from Iran just days after being sentenced to eight years in prison on security charges. Rasoulof had faced pressure from Iranian authorities to withdraw his film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” from Cannes. In a statement, he urged the international film community to support his colleagues and expressed concern for their safety.
Cannes director Thierry Fremaux mentioned that the festival is collaborating with the French foreign ministry to facilitate Rasoulof’s attendance at his premiere next week. Rasoulof himself is uncertain if he will be able to attend.
Meanwhile, the French film industry is grappling with a delayed #MeToo reckoning. Gerard Depardieu faces multiple assault accusations, and rumors suggest that more prominent figures may be implicated. Gerwig commented that the #MeToo movement is “evolving all the time,” emphasizing the ongoing nature of the discussion about the industry’s future.
On Monday, major French producer Alain Sarde was also hit with multiple assault allegations.
Camille Cottin, star of “Call My Agent!” and an outspoken feminist, will host the opening ceremony. She noted, “There are many issues I would like to address in my speech, but it’s also supposed to be a festive moment… and I’ve only got four minutes.”