The 77th Cannes Film Festival has kicked off in France, with actress and writer Greta Gerwig serving as the jury president. At the festival’s opening ceremony, Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep was honored with the Palme d’Or for Lifetime Achievement.
According to reports in the French press, male filmmakers accused of sexual misconduct will be exposed during the festival, similar to the #MeToo revelations.
The 77th Cannes Film Festival has kicked off in France, with actress and writer Greta Gerwig serving as the jury president. Gerwig is the first American female director to take on this role at Cannes. At the festival’s opening ceremony, Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep was honored with the Palme d’Or for Lifetime Achievement.
“You have carved out an indelible place for yourself in the history of cinema,” Binoche told Streep onstage. “You are an international treasure.”
“What I could sense while watching your films is that you have to fulfill your dreams, our dreams and beyond. You change the way we look at women,” she added. “You changed the way we look at women in the cinema world and also helping us to look at ourselves differently.”
In her speech, Streep thanked Cannes for welcoming her back after 35 years. She had previously won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival 35 years ago for her role in “Evil Angels.”
“Thirty-five years ago when I was here for the first time, I was already a mother of three. I was about to turn 40 and I thought that my career was over,” she said. “And that was not an unrealistic expectation for actresses at that time… But my mother, who was usually right about everything, said to me, ‘Meryl, darling, you’ll see it all goes so fast. So fast.’ And it does. Except for my speech, which is too long.”
Streep ended her speech by saying that she is “just so grateful that you haven’t gotten sick of my face and you haven’t gotten off the train.”
The wave of #MeToo at Cannes
This year’s Cannes Film Festival is taking place under the shadow of the #MeToo movement, which has erupted within the French film industry. According to reports in the French press, male filmmakers accused of sexual misconduct will be exposed during the festival, similar to the #MeToo revelations. It is also rumored that a crisis management team has been established in response to the potential withdrawal of some participants from the festival.
The #MeToo movement in the French film industry began earlier this year when French actress Judith Godreche accused two film directors of rape and sexual harassment. Godreche, who made these allegations, is among the participants at the festival with her short film “Moi Aussi.”
At the opening ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, French actress Camille Cottin, who hosted the event, addressed the #MeToo movement that emerged in response to the sexual harassment and abuse scandals within the film industry.
Camille Cottin also mentioned the short film screening by French actress Judith Godreche, who revealed she had been sexually harassed. Cottin stated, “The ethics of cinema have changed. Late-night business meetings in hotel rooms with very powerful gentlemen are no longer part of Cannes traditions following the adoption of the #MeToo law, and we welcome this change.” Her remarks received prolonged applause from the audience.
Speaking with journalists at Cannes, jury president Greta Gerwig remarked that the proliferation of #MeToo in France marks progress. She stated, “I believe it’s only positive that individuals in the film community are sharing their stories and striving to effect positive change.” Gerwig also noted, “I’ve witnessed significant shifts within the American film community, and I believe it’s crucial for us to keep amplifying this dialogue.”
The highly anticipated awards of the festival will be revealed on May 25th.