This year’s celebration of international cinema has officially begun, as the biggest stars, directors and crews from around the world descended on the beautiful French Riviera coastal mecca of Cannes.
The 12-day festival began in style, with a crowded opening ceremony red carpet for the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 17.
This year was all about accessories, stunning head pieces, jewelled and lavishly ornamental gowns and capes reminiscent of Wonder Woman‘s Amazonian childhood growing up on a secret island in the Bermuda Triangle.
On a sunny, 24-degree Tuesday, the A-list of Hollywood and abroad – and all the fresh faces of cinema – arrived wearing exquisite, strappy, one-shouldered runway and custom-designed gowns, with the men sticking to mostly traditional, and safe, black tie.
After taking their seats inside the 2000-seat Lumieré Theatre, there were several standing ovations – for French actor Vincent Lindon (who leads the panel of nine jurists this year), for American actor Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), who was given a lifetime achievement award, and for the surprise video speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke about the power of film.
But, as Vanity Fair reported, what was a sombre yet powerful start to the festival “was balanced out by the laughter that followed” during the opening film, a low-budget zombie comedy flick Final Cut (Coupez!).
“The opening night film at Cannes has become known as a gamble, with some falling short of expectations in the past few years. But Final Cut seemed to strike the exact tone necessary for this year’s festival: An ode to filmmaking and all its magic and madness,” VF wrote.
A French remake of the 2017 Japanese film One Cut of the Dead, film director Michel Hazanavicius was joined by cast members Berenice Bejo and Romain Duris on the red carpet to celebrate their comedy about a group of filmmakers tasked with recreating a Japanese zombie movie.
It was originally titled Z, according to The Hollywood Reporter, but Hazanavicius changed the name after a letter was sent to him and the festival from the Ukrainian Institute explaining that ‘Z’ had become a symbol of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“My film is made to bring joy and under no circumstances would I want it to be associated directly or indirectly with this war,” said the director in a statement afterwards.
Described as “clever and giddily entertaining” by THR, the film received a four-minute standing ovation.
So as the jurors now make their selections over the next 11 days, and the Palme d’Or (the festival’s highest honour) is awarded, let’s enjoy the must-see looks from the Cannes red carpet 2022.
The world’s biggest film festival runs from May 17 to 28, and will include screenings of Hollywood titles including Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick and Baz Luhrmann’s musical drama Elvis.
Also set to screen are several films from prominent Ukrainian filmmakers, including Sergey Loznitsa’s documentary The Natural History of Destruction.
Footage shot by Lithuanian filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravicius before he was killed in Mariupol in April will also be shown by his fiancee Hanna Bilobrova.
The festival has barred Russians with ties to the government.
