The first week of this year’s Cannes film festival brought glamour, controversy, and strong political messages.
Hollywood star Halle Berry faced a wardrobe crisis on opening night when her dress by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta was ruled too long for the festival’s strict red carpet rules, forcing a last-minute change. Meanwhile, German model Heidi Klum ignored the guidelines with a pink gown trailing over three metres.
Cannes introduced new #MeToo rules, barring French actor Theo Navarro-Mussy from the red carpet over rape allegations, though a police case was closed without charges.
Tom Cruise returned with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, receiving mixed reviews. Director Christopher McQuarrie revealed Cruise pushed himself to exhaustion during a dangerous stunt on a biplane in South Africa.
Among the 22 Palme d’Or contenders, early favourites include The Sound of Falling, Sirat, and Two Prosecutors, a Soviet-era drama by Ukraine’s Sergei Loznitsa. Cannes also welcomed directorial debuts from Harris Dickinson (Urchin), Kristen Stewart (The Chronology of Water) and soon Scarlett Johansson with Eleanor the Great.
The Gaza war dominated conversations, with nearly 400 film personalities signing an open letter condemning Israel’s actions. Jury head Juliette Binoche and stars like Ralph Fiennes and Richard Gere joined. A powerful documentary about slain Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna left audiences in tears.
Robert De Niro received a lifetime achievement award from Leonardo DiCaprio, then sharply criticised Donald Trump, who had earlier proposed heavy tariffs on foreign films. Hollywood figures, including Pedro Pascal, denounced the idea and urged resistance.
The festival runs until May 24, when the Palme d’Or winner will be announced.
