“We decided to have a festival without controversies! » It remains to be seen whether this wish of the director of the Cannes Festival will come true. One day before the start of the 77th edition of the biggest cinema event in the world, Thierry Frémaux answered questions from journalists this Monday, May 13, in the famous press room of the Palais des Festivals.
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From our special correspondent in Cannes,
Surprisingly on time, looking relaxed and visibly very happy with the selection of films and the many Hollywood stars expected to appear on the red carpet this year, Thierry Frémaux responded to the press. And the questions from the journalists, who came in unusually large numbers, poured out during this last conference before the opening of the Cannes film festival this Tuesday, May 14 in the evening.
“ Why did it take more than twenty years before, with All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia, a film from independent Indian cinema is scheduled in competition at Cannes ? » « Why the film by the Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof was he selected so late ? » « The choice of Motel Destino by Karim Aïnouz, does he confirm a revival of Brazilian cinema ? »
“ It is not the Festival that decides, but It’s always the films that get selected by Cannes. They tell us : select me ! », replied Thierry Frémaux in his particular way, as a cinema specialist wearing the black belt of judoka who seeks to make the other person in front lose his balance, when a delicate question arises.
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At the same time, the Cannes selector is aware of the global aura of the Festival and does not hesitate to compare the soft power from the Croisette to the upcoming Olympic Games: “ The big world events are the Olympic Games, the Football World Cup, the Tour de France and the Cannes Film Festival! And the Cannes Film Festival is the only cultural event ! »
The highly publicized presence of Judith Godrech’s short film at Cannes is part of the Festival’s history for Frémaux. Similar to the presence last year of a short documentary film on the kidnapping of Ukrainian children by the Russian army, this year the 17 minutes of Me tooby Judith Godrech, to make the #MeToo movement and the voices of victims of sexual harassment in cinema resonate.
Without a doubt, the Croisette is the place to be, for the next two weeks, to see celebrities and cinema legends parade and to debate the subjects that move the world today. Despite all the glory claimed, Frémaux does not forget one thing learned since he was director of the Festival: a film can change the way we look at the world, but not the world. So, ask if the film The Apprenticeby Danish director of Iranian origin Ali Abbasi on the youth of Donald Trump, could change the American election in November, remains for him a “ utopian question “.
Read alsoSentenced to prison, filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof announces he has left Iran
But sometimes utopias seem more realistic than the truths dictated by dictatorships. A few hours after Thierry Frémaux’s press conference, Mohammad Rasoulof announced on Instagram having was able to leave Iran illegally, and therefore escape his sentence to eight years in prison and lashes, confirmed on May 8 by a court in Tehran. We will see if the Iranian director will be present during the climb of the steps of his film, The Seed of the Sacred FigFriday May 24.