Red carpet, black rage. These are the colors and moods that bring the 76th issue to life. Cannes Film Festivalnoted protests and controversy something that may not have happened since 2018, when Asia Argento accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, saying she was raped specifically in Cannes in 1997, after being lured into a producer’s hotel room and forced to give him a massage. Reactions and denials followed, but in fact the event is considered one of the most representative moments of the #metoo movement for women’s rights. Since then, every appointment on the Croisette has been marked by a show of opposition to a system that is considered sexist and does not tolerate gender-based harassment.
Protests at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival
This year, protests have swept through the city with feminist murals hung all over the place to denounce the cinematic panorama that winks at patriarchy and does not take a clear and transparent stand to protect sector professionals. Actresses, directors, costume designers, production designers, authors: the universe is still underrepresented in official awards (not to mention ethnic minorities), but also poorly protected when it comes to pointing the finger at the star system’s untouchable stars. such as Roman Polanski and Gerard Depardieu. The latter was actually excluded from the event, where he was supposed to present his latest film. Umami precisely because of the allegations of sexual abuse reported in April Mediaport thirteen women on the set of eleven films or series released between 2004 and 2022.
But it wasn’t enough to calm the anger Adele Haenel, who spoke of Cannes as a festival protecting rapists.. Already in 2020, during the evening of the César Awards, he left the hall shouting “La honte!” (Shame, ed.) in protest against the award of the prize to Roman Polanski. Since then, her career has been brutally cut short, and the actress has struggled to find opportunities to participate in new productions. However, his commitment to minorities did not end, as was renewed in an open letter published on teleramain which he denounced “the conformity of the profession to sex offenders”.
The 2023 edition also saw Johnny Depp’s big comeback in his first international appointment at a screening of Maiwenn’s Jeanne du Barry following a libel trial following domestic violence allegations against Amber Heard that ended with a full acquittal of the former Caribbean pirate. For the actor, it was a triumphant podium, an official confirmation of his impeccable charm; for some activists, it was a confirmation of a system that perpetuates the logic of power, which, it would seem, cannot be scratched. “Under the carpet of violence”, “I blame the man, I irritate the artist”, “Power, violence, suffering, Cannes accomplices” – these are just some of the phrases that are pasted over the walls of the city, not far from the Palais des Festivals. The murals, posted on the Instagram account @black anger red cars, were accompanied by words of encouragement from Jury President Ruben Ostlund, who shared one of the slogans on his social media. The collective behind these “artistic attacks” also wrote a lengthy text explaining the reasons behind the gesture: “We filmmakers and film technicians reject the complicity of the Cannes Film Festival against sexual, physical and moral attackers and harassers. Our struggle is part of a larger struggle: the struggle against patriarchy.” Powerful words that will surely leave their mark.
Source: Elle