Cannes and its glitz and glamour usually quickly eclipse the darkness of current events. But it seems that this time, the darkness has become too persistent, from the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip to Donald Trump's repeated attacks on the rule of law. On Tuesday, May 13, the opening ceremony of the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival therefore had a solemn tone, beyond the joyful welcome given to the team of the opening film, Partir un jour (Leave One Day), a musical romance by Amélie Bonnin, starring Juliette Armanet and Bastien Bouillon – who was absent due to appendicitis, as was reported.
Laurent Lafitte may have looked like a handsome guy with a mustache, but the French actor took his role as master of ceremonies very seriously. It didn't take long to realize that his (sometimes convoluted) speech was intended to salute the actresses and actors who have the "courage" to speak out, even though the current times do not encourage free expression. "For an actor, speaking out is often sacrificial, at a time when climate, equity, feminism, LGBTQIA+, migrants and racism are not just movie subjects, but also words banned by the world's leading power. (…) When you're an all-powerful billionaire, you must don your supersonic armor to save the world instead of using a chainsaw to cut up global programs for the weakest," said Lafitte, to applause.
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