The Cannes Film Festival begins with a call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to speak out against war

*Paromita Das

According to media reports, the Cannes Film Festival began on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call to speak out against the war.

The red carpet arrivals were visible at the star-studded ceremony.

“We need a new (Charlie) Chaplin to show that cinema is not silent today,” Zelensky said. The president was referring to Charlie Chaplin’s satire of Adolf Hitler, which was created at the start of WWII in 1939.

During the opening ceremony, Ukraine’s president said via live video link from Kyiv, “We must be victorious.”
We need cinema to ensure that this ending is always on the side of freedom.” Due to the ongoing war, the event began on a somber note this year.

Earlier in the day, the organisers had rolled out the red carpet for festival-goers, movie stars, and others who had gathered to witness the event’s 75th anniversary.

The much-anticipated event reintroduced buzz and glitz to the French Riviera resort. It also appears to have sparked debate about the role of cinema in times of war.
The film festival, which runs from May 17 to 28, began with the screening of Michel Hazanavicius’ zombie film “Final Cut.”

During the opening ceremony, festival president Pierre Lescure also presented Forest Whitaker with an Honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement.

“An honorary Palme to the artist, the filmmaker, the UNESCO ambassador, simply a global citizen,” Lescure said.

The 75th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival begins in full force in 2022.

The Cannes Film Festival is gearing up for a bumper 75th-anniversary edition with a lineup of big Hollywood names, buzzy newcomers, and previous Palme d’Or winners – a splashy return despite the conflict in Ukraine.

“I honestly believe this is one of the best Cannes lineups in years,” said Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter’s European bureau chief.

The festival takes place from May 17 to 28, resuming its traditional schedule after two years of pandemic disruptions. It was canceled in 2020 and moved to July last year, when it was held under strict COVID protocols.
This year’s parties will include Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun Maverick,’ which will bring the star to Cannes for the first time in three decades, as well as Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks.

“It’s tradition to have our American friends – don’t forget that the Cannes Festival was practically co-built, co-invented by France and Hollywood in 1939 and 1946,” festival director Thierry Fremaux said at a press conference.
The festival’s Honorary Palme D’Or for lifetime achievement will be presented to actor Forest Whitaker.

“Crimes of the Future,” starring Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart, and Lea Seydoux, will mark David Cronenberg’s return to horror films.
Despite China’s absence, Asia will have a strong showing, with films by Park Chan-wook and Hirokazu Kore-eda competing and ‘Squid Game’ actor Lee Jung-jae premiering his new film ‘Hunt.’

“Everyone wants to come back for this moment, this re-awakening of cinema here in Cannes,” Roxborough said.

The festival kicks off on Tuesday with ‘Final Cut,’ a zombie film by French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius, who changed the title from ‘Z, like Z,’ to remove a reference to the letter that has become associated with the Ukrainian war.
The festival has barred official Russian delegations from attending. but it will screen ‘Tchaikovski’s Wife,’ a film by exiled Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov, who has been vocal about the war.

‘Mariupolis 2’ by Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravicius, 45, who was killed nearly a month ago while working on the film in Mariupol, the Ukrainian city heavily bombarded by Russian forces. Hanna Bilobrova, his fiancée, who completed the project, will present it.

Another Ukrainian entry is ‘Butterfly Vision,’ Maksim Nakonechnyi’s debut film about a young Ukrainian woman who returns to her country after being captured and then released in a prisoner swap.
“We’ll be thinking a lot about film, but we’ll never stop thinking about what’s going on in Ukraine,” Fremaux said when asked about the festival’s stance on the war.

Deepika Padukone looks stunning in her first appearance at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

Deepika Padukone is known for turning heads wherever she goes. Deepika Padukone looked stunning in a Louis Vuitton multi-colored embellished short dress and knee-high brown boots as the 75th Cannes Film Festival kicked off on Monday with a Jury dinner.

Padukone wore minimal makeup as she met her fellow jury members for a pre-festival dinner.

Before Deepika Padukone, these Indian celebrities served on the Cannes jury.
This year’s Cannes Film Festival jury will be presided over by French actor Vincent Lindon. This year’s jury also includes English actress Rebecca Hall, Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, Italian filmmaker Jasmine Trinca, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, French director Ladj Ly, American filmmaker Jeff Nichols, and Norwegian director Joachim Trier.

The jury posed for photos on the balcony and waved to the fans who had gathered outside the festival venue hours before the 75th edition began. Deepika, who was standing next to Asghar Farhadi, smiled and waved to the cameras.

Deepika Padukone arrives for the Jury Dinner Ahead Of The 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Hotel Martinez#DeepikaAtCannes pic.twitter.com/0YmLmmw7XL

— Team DP Malaysia (@TeamDeepikaMY_) May 16, 2022

This year, the actress is not the only Indian at Cannes. As India is the country of focus at Cannes 2022, a contingent led by Union Minister Anurag Thakur and including stars such as Nayanthara, Pooja Hegde, R Madhavan, and AR Rahman is expected to walk the red carpet this year.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, a festival regular, is also expected to walk the red carpet on some days, but Sonam Kapoor will miss the event this year due to her pregnancy with her first child.