You may not be aware of this, but you are about to enter a parallel universe called the Cannes Vortex.” Camille Cottin was already on stage at the Grand Théâtre Lumière when lights went on for this 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes. Driven by the energy of the Worakls Orchestra, the French actress placed the twelve days of the Festival under the signs of emotion, commitment and, of course, love of cinema.
“We watch films all day long and we discuss them all night long. Nobody speaks the same language, yet we all understand each other. (…) Here, when you plunge into darkness, it’s to find light. It sounds insane, but the craziest of this is that it’s true. It is not a parallel universe. This world exists. This is where film aficionados from all over the world meet. A place for encounters, dialogs, debate, reflexion, culture, and enchantment. This is here and now. At a time of troubling and even chilling events in the world, when deep fractures divide peoples, when our planet is burning, when our collective intelligence is threatened with becoming artificial, this gathering venue is a stroke of luck. Every year, we come to Cannes to take a photograph of our humanity; we come to fill up on hope. It is infinitely beautiful.”
The Mistress of Ceremonies invited Ebru Ceylan, Lily Gladstone, Eva Green, Nadine Labaki, Juan Antonio Bayona, Pierfrancesco Favino, Kore-eda Hirokazu and Omar Sy to join her. They are the members of the Feature Film jury chaired by American actress and director Greta Gerwig.
The filmmaker who “conquered the world in three films” appeared extremely moved by the dazzling performance of singer Zaho de Sagazan, who came to sing Modern Love, the worldwide hit and the soundtrack to her film, Frances Ha.
And as we never tire of welcoming exceptional women to the stage for this opening ceremony, a long standing ovation greeted the entrance of Meryl Streep, who was in Cannes to receive an honorary Palme d’Or from the hands of French actress Juliette Binoche. The latter expressed her greatest respect: “Your face and your voice are part of our lives. You made us feel emotions. You made us grow. When I see you on screen, it’s not you I see, it is a flow that goes through you. And that is what being an actor is all about. But in reality, it is much more. It is a link created by your presence, letting beauty come to you. What flows through you in an instant is intent, thought, energy, love, truth. Where does all this come from? Is it from love? Were you born this way? What was your dream?”
Reacting to the film tribute to her career, the great American actress said: “For me, watching this clip is like looking out of the window of a high-speed train. Rushing like a flash from my youth to my fifties, right up to the present day. So many faces, so many places that I remember so well. When I was in Cannes 35 years ago, for the first time, I was already a mother of three. I was approaching 40 and I thought my career was over. At the time, for an actress, that was a reasonable prediction. The only reason I’m here tonight is because of the wonderful artists I’ve worked with, including Madame President.”
Finally, the two actresses joined voices to declare the 77th Festival de Cannes officially open!
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Author Eleanor Belson