The 79th Cannes Film Festival has officially commenced, with 12 days of screenings and events culminating in the Palme d'Or ceremony on 23 May. The opening day combined celebratory tributes, political statements and an unexpected red carpet appearance.
New Zealand director Peter Jackson received an honorary Palme d'Or, introduced by Elijah Wood, who starred in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Jackson said he had 'never figured out why' he was receiving the honour, adding: 'I'm not a Palme d'Or sorta guy.' The tribute closed with a rendition of The Beatles' 'Get Back', a nod to his 2021 documentary.
Jane Fonda and Gong Li declared the festival open, with Fonda, 88, asserting that 'cinema has always been an act of resistance.' The nine-member jury, led by Park Chan-wook, then took the stage. Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty, known for his collaborations with Ken Loach, pointed to the festival poster featuring Thelma and Louise while speaking of what he termed 'genocide in Gaza.' He quoted King Lear, saying 'Madmen lead the blind,' and criticised Hollywood for blacklisting actors including Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo for opposing 'the murder of women and children in Gaza,' adding: 'Shame on Hollywood people who do that.'
Park Chan-wook said art and politics were not in conflict. 'One cannot disqualify a film on the pretext that it has a political message,' he said. 'Just as one cannot reject a film because it would not be political enough.' The jury also includes Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård, Ruth Negga and Demi Moore.
The red carpet also saw a surprise appearance by James Franco, 48, who had attended the festival in 2024. In 2021 he and co-defendants agreed to a $2.2 million settlement in a lawsuit alleging he intimidated students at his acting school into exploitative sexual situations. Cannes has previously hosted Hollywood outcasts, such as Johnny Depp in 2022.
Guillermo del Toro presented a 4K restoration of his acclaimed fable Pan's Labyrinth, two decades after its premiere. He said the film was 'more pertinent than ever' and remarked that contemporary times 'tell us everything is useless to resist, that art can be done with a —-ing app.'
