“He’s a giant of cinema” who “works like an artist”, declares the general delegate of the Festival

Francis Ford Coppola returns to the Croisette at the next Cannes Film Festival, from May 14 to 25.

“He’s a giant of cinema” Who “work like an artist”, declares Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the Cannes Film Festival as Francis Ford Coppola returns to competition for the 2024 edition with Megalopolis45 years after his second Palme d’Or for Apocalypse Now (1979), according to the official selection.

Thierry Frémaux tells that Francis Ford Coppola “wanted to make this film for a long time.” “After making his fortune in wine and in other sectors besides cinema, he decided to finance it on his own. He works as an artist inside and outside the Hollywood system. There he self-produced a $150 million movie. Now that the general delegate of the Festival has been able to see the film, “everyone will see it in Cannes”he rejoices.

“Cannes helps the films it programs”

For Thierry Frémaux, Cannes is “Glitter” but not only : “There is a mix to be made”. “We announced a tribute to George Lucas [qui recevra la Palme d’or d’honneur lors de la cérémonie de clôture], the presence of Kevin Costner, etc. So there will be a lot of stars.” According to him, “It’s one of the Cannes ingredients” because the Festival “it’s this strange alchemy of which no one – not even me – knows the composition but which means that we go there as much for the authors as for the stars, as much for the red carpet as to find ourselves locked in front of a film of a distant country that we would never have suspected of seeing or loving one day.

Asked about Anatomy of a fall by Justine Triet who received the Palme d’Or last year, Thierry Frémaux replies that this is not the first time: “Remember Parasite, a Korean film in Korean that won all the awards and became a worldwide success. Cannes helps the films it programs.” The general delegate would also like to point out that Cannes is “this universality, this universalism which is at the heart of the DNA of the Festival”. “We remain faithful to that,” he adds, recalling that this year “It’s precisely a selection where we see Somali, Guinean or Zambian films. Films also from China, it’s a big comeback from Asia and India which is a great cinema country” .

Finally regarding #MeToo and the fact that Judith Godrèche filed a complaint against the filmmakers Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon for acts of sexual violence dating back to her adolescence, Thierry Frémaux assures us: “We are very attentive to what the women who have spoken in recent months are saying. We are very receptive to the idea that they can also express themselves and that they can do so in Cannes.”