Barbra Streisand has shared a heartfelt video message after being forced to cancel her appearance at the Cannes Film Festival due to a knee injury. The iconic singer and director, 84, was unable to attend the closing ceremony to receive her honorary Palme d'Or, but she made sure her presence was felt through a recorded speech.
Isabelle Huppert accepted the statuette on stage before Streisand appeared on the big screen. In her message, Streisand expressed gratitude for the honor and reflected on her lifelong love for cinema. 'I was mesmerized by those images on the screen,' she said, recalling her adolescent movie-watching experiences. 'They were so powerful that they're still in my head. I wanted to be an actress and live in those other more interesting worlds.'
Streisand also spoke about how films taught her to think critically about storytelling. 'I didn't realize at the time, but I was thinking like a director,' she explained. 'Trying to figure out how to tell the story. And I had stories I wanted to tell.'
Referring to her directorial debut, Yentl (1981), Streisand noted the challenges she faced as a woman in Hollywood. 'I was a woman, which was an obstacle to people. Even worse, was an actress who wanted to direct. So every studio turned me down. And for 15 years the project was on the verge of collapsing. But I had to make this movie.'
She concluded her speech by highlighting the unifying power of film. 'In this crazy volatile world that seems more fractured every day, it's reassuring to see the compelling movies at this festival, by artists from many countries. Film has that magical ability to unite us, opening our hearts and minds. I'm so proud to be part of this community, so merci beaucoup and vive la cinema!'
The video message came a week after Streisand announced her absence from the festival. 'On the advice of my doctors, as I continue recovering from a knee injury, I am sadly unable to attend the Festival de Cannes this year,' she said in a statement. 'I was also very much looking forward to spending time with colleagues whom I so admire — and, of course, returning to France, a place I have always loved.'
