On the stage of the Palais des Festivals, in front of a crowd of stars, actresses Gong Li and Jane Fonda kicked off this 79th edition, which will run until May 23.
The 79th Cannes Film Festival opened on the evening of Tuesday, May 12, with its stars and 22 films vying for the Palme d’Or, during a ceremony celebrating cinema as an “act of resistance” that “transcends cultures.”
On the stage of the Palais des Festivals, in front of a crowd of stars, actresses Gong Li and Jane Fonda started the Cannes extravaganza, which will close on May 23 with the awarding of the Palme d’Or, given last year to “A Simple Accident” by Iranian dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi.
“Cinema has always been an act of resistance because we tell stories and stories represent what builds a civilization,” said American Jane Fonda, while Chinese Gong Li praised an art that “transcends languages, cultures, and generations” and speaks to “what we all share, human emotions.”
Context: The Cannes Film Festival is a prestigious event in the film industry that showcases a selection of international films competing for awards like the Palme d’Or.
Fact Check: Jafar Panahi is an Iranian director known for his films dealing with social and political issues and his defiance against government censorship in Iran.
