The 77e Cannes Film Festival opens this Tuesday with The second act, a satirical comedy by Quentin Dupieux which pays homage as much as it targets the not necessarily wonderful world of cinema. Ahead of the kick-off of the film-loving festivities, the president of the jury of the official competition, the director, screenwriter, actress and producer Greta Gerwig (barbie), as well as his co-jurors, actor and producer Omar Sy, actress Eva Green, actress Lily Gladstone, actor Pierfrancesco Favino, filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-Eda, director, screenwriter and producer Juan Antonio Bayona, screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, and filmmaker and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, met the media for the traditional press conference. Overview in five key quotes.
About the honor of being entrusted with the presidency of the jury of the official competition:
“It’s much more than a dream come true: it’s a dream that I didn’t know I had, to be part of such a group, at the Cannes Film Festival… I’m pinching myself. One of my favorite things to do in life is watch movies and talk about them afterwards. So here I have the opportunity to do exactly that, in the company of wonderful artists and minds. I am still shocked. » —Greta Gerwig
On the responsibility that comes with being part of such a jury:
“We are all aware of the responsibility we have. So I arrived yesterday hyperrelaxed, and all of a sudden, during our first meeting, we were told: “Are you aware that you are going to change people’s lives? “. Then I said to myself: “Shit! “. And finally, it’s not wrong: a Palme d’Or can change the career of a film, someone’s career, and therefore their life as well. » — Omar Sy
Compared to evaluating the performance of colleagues, when you yourself are experienced in playing techniques:
“It’s so difficult to determine why one performance affects us more than another… There are so many techniques, so many approaches… And it’s not as if there is a scale to assess the level of “method” used… For my part, I am always inspired by actresses and actors who transform the world around them on screen; who enhance the film with their presence, and ensure that this film would not be what it is without their presence. I plan to show up to each film with complete openness, in order to embrace each performance. Ultimately, I believe that as performers, seeing our colleagues perform is what makes us better. » —Lily Gladstone
Regarding the MoiAussi movement, which is hovering over the Croisette, particularly after an investigation by the magazine She targeting the famous French producer Alain Sarde (Cold buffet, A Sunday in the countryside, The pianist, Mullholland Drive):
“The fact that people in the film community are telling their stories to change things for the better can only be good. I see it in the American film community: things have started to change for the better. And it’s important to continue to have this conversation and increase its reach. I believe that keeping these lines of communication open can only move things in the right direction. […] There have been very concrete changes that have occurred in American industry. I think of the advent of intimacy coordinators. It was practically non-existent before, whereas now it is integrated into the production in the same way that we integrate stunt coordinators, fight coordinators… We would never let two actors hit each other with sabers by hitting randomly. Coordinating this is an art that contributes to a safe work environment. Same principle. » —Greta Gerwig
Concerning the low representation of female directors in competition, year after year, and not just at Cannes:
“I am honored to follow in the footsteps of Jane Campion (The Piano / The piano lesson ; The Power of the Dog / The power of the dog), who was president of the jury ten years ago. I’ve been in this business, and traveling to film festivals, for almost 20 years now. It goes without saying that we must increase the number of selected female directors. It’s getting better, there are more, but it’s not over, far from it; it’s moving in the right direction. Every year I get excited seeing more women represented in the industry. But it’s a long-term job…” — Greta Gerwig
The official competition jury will deliver its results on May 25.
François Lévesque is in Cannes at the invitation of the festival and thanks to the support of Telefilm Canada