(Cannes) “There are no controversies coming from the festival” in Cannes, its general delegate, Thierry Frémaux, told the press on Monday, while rumors linked to #metoo hover over the meeting of the 7e art, which starts Tuesday.
“Last year was a great year for cinema […] and at the same time, I am not giving away a secret by saying that last year there were some controversies,” recalled Mr. Frémaux. “So we realized that and we decided to do a festival without controversy and there is none.”
Last year, the Cannes Film Festival presented the film Jeanne du Barry by Maïwenn at the opening. The film marked the return of Johnny Depp, after his trials for defamation surrounding accusations of domestic violence.
This year, “there are no controversies coming from the festival. We have precisely taken care to ensure that the major interest of what we are all here for remains cinema,” Mr. Frémaux further underlined.
Rumors of accusations linked to #metoo have been circulating on social networks for weeks. They could disrupt the 77e edition of the Festival (May 14-25), seven years after the Harvey Weinstein affair which launched the movement to free the voices of victims of sexual assault.
A list of potentially implicated film personalities is circulating, but no journalistic investigation has been published confirming or denying these rumors.
“If the case of an implicated person arises, we will ensure that we make the right decision on a case-by-case basis,” recently assured Iris Knobloch, president of the Festival, to the weekly Paris Match.
If there “are other controversies, that does not concern us,” Mr. Frémaux insisted. “I’m willing to comment on them, but there’s no point in anyone commenting on them. Because as there are no controversies, we invent them or amplify them,” Mr. Frémaux insisted again on Monday.
The Cannes Film Festival begins Tuesday with a ceremony where Meryl Streep will be presented with an honorary Palme d’Or, with the opening film The second act by Quentin Dupieux.