The 2025 Cannes Movie Competition is underway, and Chaz Ebert is on the bottom to report on each improvement, together with her breakdown of the opening days of the fest and Robert De Niro’s phrases as he obtained his honorary Palme d’Or. Watch the video and browse the transcript beneath.
The 78th version of the Cannes Movie Competition has begun, and we’re so glad to be again right here within the South of France!
The solar is shining brightly on a extremely anticipated slate of movies, however all anybody can speak about on the road…within the cafés….and between screenings is what impact President Trump’s threatened tariffs on films made exterior of america may have. Nobody is sort of certain what the affect can be not simply on American movies, however your entire movement image business all over the world.
As he does yearly simply earlier than the competition begins, Competition Basic Delegate, Theirry Fremaux, hosted an introductory press convention. He sidestepped a query about tariffs, stating that it was too early to know what would possibly occur to the business. However he did handle numerous different points together with the rise of A.I. in filmmaking, the significance of gender parity in competition illustration, and why so many filmmakers get invited again to Cannes yr after yr. Fremaux stated the competition has a practice of loyalty courting again many years. So though the vast majority of movies in Cannes are from filmmakers chosen by Cannes for the primary time, the competition continues to assist and honor returning filmmakers just like the Dardenne brothers, making their ninth look on the competition this yr with “The Younger Moms’ House”.
Judging the Palme d’Or competitors this yr can be a jury headed by Juliette Binoche. She was requested about how she plans to steer the Jury as its President.
“Yesterday night once I obtained into mattress, I assumed, what am I doing right here? It’s a type of an achievement as a result of 40 years in the past I walked the pink carpet with a movie by André Téchiné. I wish to see the movies. I wish to share them. It’s a really sturdy want to share them with different members of the jury, and I really feel nice gratitude.
I really feel grateful to all people, to individuals who have put collectively this competition. I really feel very grateful certainly.”
Director Payal Kapadia, whose movie All We Think about as Mild broke out in a giant manner eventually yr competition, talked concerning the significance of Cannes in serving to to assist worldwide movies.
“Coming right here in Cannes and getting the popularity. Then all of you writing about it actually helped us to get the movie out, and that even the distribution in India was helped by that. So I, I’m actually grateful that as a result of the one factor as a filmmaker is that the movie ought to be watched by the individuals in your personal nation and in all places else.
In order that was a extremely huge bonus for me. And I’m proper now engaged on, two extra movies based mostly on my metropolis, which is Mumbai. So to have, like, a trilogy, however with totally different characters. It’s a metropolis that’s complicated and filled with contradiction. And it’s, there’s a lot for me to discover nonetheless, and I have to get that out earlier than I transfer on to anything. Thanks.”
Jury member Jeremy Robust, Oscar nominated for his position as Roy Cohn in final yr’s Cannes entry “The Apprentice”, was requested how he felt concerning the position of artwork and artists in at the moment’s world.
“Roy Cohn I see primarily because the progenitor of pretend information and different info, and we’re dwelling within the aftermath, of what I feel he created, I feel that this time the place fact is below assault, the place fact is turning into an more and more endangered factor, that the position of tales, of cinema, of artwork. And however right here particularly at this temple of movie, the position of movie is more and more important as a result of it will probably fight these forces and the entropy of fact.
And it will probably talk truths, particular person truths, human truths, societal truths, and affirm and have a good time our shared humanity. So I’d say that what I’m right here doing this yr is, in a manner, a counterbalance, to to what Roy Cohn was, was doing final yr.”
I posed a query to Halle Berry about her expectations for 2 weeks of continuous cinema in Cannes.
“Is there any preparation? No, I don’t assume there’s any preparation. And I feel simply being in movie for 30 years, I do assume I’ve a singular perspective. All of us do. All of us have a singular perspective. After we watch movie, no person, nobody particular person owns the reality. All we will do, the 9 of us, is to provide our personal particular person views on all the films that we’re going to see.
And I look ahead to listening to what all people else has to say. That’s the sweetness that makes us human, is that we’re all totally different, and all of us see issues from our totally different cultural backgrounds, our household of origin, our age, our gender. And so I’m trying ahead to the conversations and actually seeing what brings us collectively, but in addition typically which these issues that separate us as a result of that’s additionally stunning.”
She was additionally requested concerning the latest red-carpet rule adjustments that expressly prohibit nudity and excessively giant attire or lengthy trains. That rule required her to vary her red-carpet plans a bit.
“However I had a tremendous costume by Gupta to put on tonight, and I can’t put on as a result of the practice is simply too huge, so I in fact I’m going to comply with the principles. So I needed to make a pivot. However the nudity half, I do assume, might be additionally a superb rule.”
The primary pink carpet occasion of the competition lead in to the opening ceremony the place the competition produced a touching tribute to recently-deceased director David Lynch with images from his life, clips from his profession, and a touching track carried out by Mylène Farmer.
The lifetime achievement Honorary Palme d’Or was introduced to legendary actor Robert De Niro, after a touching introduction from Leonardo DiCaprio. De Niro thanked the neighborhood in Cannes, a neighborhood he feels grateful to be part of. He additionally made some not-so-subtle feedback concerning the present administration in Washington, and the way he feels artwork and artists are below assault.
“In my nation, we’re combating like hell for the democracy we as soon as took as a right, and that impacts all of us. That impacts all of us right here as a result of the humanities are democratic. Artwork is inclusive. It brings individuals collectively. Like tonight, artwork appears to be like for fact. Artwork embraces variety. And that’s why artwork is that may be a menace. That’s why we’re a menace to autocrats and fascists.
All these assaults are unacceptable. And this isn’t simply an American drawback. It’s a worldwide one. I like a movie. We are able to’t simply sit again and watch. Now we have to behave. And now we have to behave now with out violence. However with nice ardour and dedication. It’s time for everybody who cares about liberty, to prepare, to protest. And when there are elections, in fact, to vote, vote tonight and for the following 11 days, we present our power and dedication by celebrating artwork on this superb competition.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité.”
Lastly, it was time to formally open the competition. And that job was dealt with by Quentin Tarantino… in essentially the most enthusiastic manner I feel I’ve ever seen it accomplished in all my years in Cannes.
“It’s my honor to declare….The 78th Competition of Cannes to be formally open!”
The opening night time movie kicking off the competition was Depart One Day, the directorial debut from Amélie Bonnin. It’s the story of a former High Chef winner, about to open her personal connoisseur restaurant, who’s compelled to return residence to take care of the individuals and locations the place she grew up.
The movie is an unlikely musical with low-key songs popping up while you least count on them. I discovered it to be mild and satisfying. And I’ve to let you know that I couldn’t get the movie’s last tune out of my head.
That’s all for now, however we’re simply getting began! Make sure you be part of us subsequent time as we fill you in on every thing occurring in Cannes together with the early competitors screenings, a three-film occasion devoted to the battle Ukraine, a brand new documentary about David Lynch, this yr’s Immersive media competitors, and the most recent Mission: Inconceivable involves Cannes. We’ll have all that, and a lot extra arising. So all through the competition, make sure to examine in at RogerEbert.com for day by day experiences by our writers together with our common video experiences.
Till subsequent time, au revoir!
The 2025 Cannes Movie Competition is underway, and Chaz Ebert is on the bottom to report on each improvement, together with her breakdown of the opening days of the fest and Robert De Niro’s phrases as he obtained his honorary Palme d’Or. Watch the video and browse the transcript beneath.
The 78th version of the Cannes Movie Competition has begun, and we’re so glad to be again right here within the South of France!
The solar is shining brightly on a extremely anticipated slate of movies, however all anybody can speak about on the road…within the cafés….and between screenings is what impact President Trump’s threatened tariffs on films made exterior of america may have. Nobody is sort of certain what the affect can be not simply on American movies, however your entire movement image business all over the world.
As he does yearly simply earlier than the competition begins, Competition Basic Delegate, Theirry Fremaux, hosted an introductory press convention. He sidestepped a query about tariffs, stating that it was too early to know what would possibly occur to the business. However he did handle numerous different points together with the rise of A.I. in filmmaking, the significance of gender parity in competition illustration, and why so many filmmakers get invited again to Cannes yr after yr. Fremaux stated the competition has a practice of loyalty courting again many years. So though the vast majority of movies in Cannes are from filmmakers chosen by Cannes for the primary time, the competition continues to assist and honor returning filmmakers just like the Dardenne brothers, making their ninth look on the competition this yr with “The Younger Moms’ House”.
Judging the Palme d’Or competitors this yr can be a jury headed by Juliette Binoche. She was requested about how she plans to steer the Jury as its President.
“Yesterday night once I obtained into mattress, I assumed, what am I doing right here? It’s a type of an achievement as a result of 40 years in the past I walked the pink carpet with a movie by André Téchiné. I wish to see the movies. I wish to share them. It’s a really sturdy want to share them with different members of the jury, and I really feel nice gratitude.
I really feel grateful to all people, to individuals who have put collectively this competition. I really feel very grateful certainly.”
Director Payal Kapadia, whose movie All We Think about as Mild broke out in a giant manner eventually yr competition, talked concerning the significance of Cannes in serving to to assist worldwide movies.
“Coming right here in Cannes and getting the popularity. Then all of you writing about it actually helped us to get the movie out, and that even the distribution in India was helped by that. So I, I’m actually grateful that as a result of the one factor as a filmmaker is that the movie ought to be watched by the individuals in your personal nation and in all places else.
In order that was a extremely huge bonus for me. And I’m proper now engaged on, two extra movies based mostly on my metropolis, which is Mumbai. So to have, like, a trilogy, however with totally different characters. It’s a metropolis that’s complicated and filled with contradiction. And it’s, there’s a lot for me to discover nonetheless, and I have to get that out earlier than I transfer on to anything. Thanks.”
Jury member Jeremy Robust, Oscar nominated for his position as Roy Cohn in final yr’s Cannes entry “The Apprentice”, was requested how he felt concerning the position of artwork and artists in at the moment’s world.
“Roy Cohn I see primarily because the progenitor of pretend information and different info, and we’re dwelling within the aftermath, of what I feel he created, I feel that this time the place fact is below assault, the place fact is turning into an more and more endangered factor, that the position of tales, of cinema, of artwork. And however right here particularly at this temple of movie, the position of movie is more and more important as a result of it will probably fight these forces and the entropy of fact.
And it will probably talk truths, particular person truths, human truths, societal truths, and affirm and have a good time our shared humanity. So I’d say that what I’m right here doing this yr is, in a manner, a counterbalance, to to what Roy Cohn was, was doing final yr.”
I posed a query to Halle Berry about her expectations for 2 weeks of continuous cinema in Cannes.
“Is there any preparation? No, I don’t assume there’s any preparation. And I feel simply being in movie for 30 years, I do assume I’ve a singular perspective. All of us do. All of us have a singular perspective. After we watch movie, no person, nobody particular person owns the reality. All we will do, the 9 of us, is to provide our personal particular person views on all the films that we’re going to see.
And I look ahead to listening to what all people else has to say. That’s the sweetness that makes us human, is that we’re all totally different, and all of us see issues from our totally different cultural backgrounds, our household of origin, our age, our gender. And so I’m trying ahead to the conversations and actually seeing what brings us collectively, but in addition typically which these issues that separate us as a result of that’s additionally stunning.”
She was additionally requested concerning the latest red-carpet rule adjustments that expressly prohibit nudity and excessively giant attire or lengthy trains. That rule required her to vary her red-carpet plans a bit.
“However I had a tremendous costume by Gupta to put on tonight, and I can’t put on as a result of the practice is simply too huge, so I in fact I’m going to comply with the principles. So I needed to make a pivot. However the nudity half, I do assume, might be additionally a superb rule.”
The primary pink carpet occasion of the competition lead in to the opening ceremony the place the competition produced a touching tribute to recently-deceased director David Lynch with images from his life, clips from his profession, and a touching track carried out by Mylène Farmer.
The lifetime achievement Honorary Palme d’Or was introduced to legendary actor Robert De Niro, after a touching introduction from Leonardo DiCaprio. De Niro thanked the neighborhood in Cannes, a neighborhood he feels grateful to be part of. He additionally made some not-so-subtle feedback concerning the present administration in Washington, and the way he feels artwork and artists are below assault.
“In my nation, we’re combating like hell for the democracy we as soon as took as a right, and that impacts all of us. That impacts all of us right here as a result of the humanities are democratic. Artwork is inclusive. It brings individuals collectively. Like tonight, artwork appears to be like for fact. Artwork embraces variety. And that’s why artwork is that may be a menace. That’s why we’re a menace to autocrats and fascists.
All these assaults are unacceptable. And this isn’t simply an American drawback. It’s a worldwide one. I like a movie. We are able to’t simply sit again and watch. Now we have to behave. And now we have to behave now with out violence. However with nice ardour and dedication. It’s time for everybody who cares about liberty, to prepare, to protest. And when there are elections, in fact, to vote, vote tonight and for the following 11 days, we present our power and dedication by celebrating artwork on this superb competition.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité.”
Lastly, it was time to formally open the competition. And that job was dealt with by Quentin Tarantino… in essentially the most enthusiastic manner I feel I’ve ever seen it accomplished in all my years in Cannes.
“It’s my honor to declare….The 78th Competition of Cannes to be formally open!”
The opening night time movie kicking off the competition was Depart One Day, the directorial debut from Amélie Bonnin. It’s the story of a former High Chef winner, about to open her personal connoisseur restaurant, who’s compelled to return residence to take care of the individuals and locations the place she grew up.
The movie is an unlikely musical with low-key songs popping up while you least count on them. I discovered it to be mild and satisfying. And I’ve to let you know that I couldn’t get the movie’s last tune out of my head.
That’s all for now, however we’re simply getting began! Make sure you be part of us subsequent time as we fill you in on every thing occurring in Cannes together with the early competitors screenings, a three-film occasion devoted to the battle Ukraine, a brand new documentary about David Lynch, this yr’s Immersive media competitors, and the most recent Mission: Inconceivable involves Cannes. We’ll have all that, and a lot extra arising. So all through the competition, make sure to examine in at RogerEbert.com for day by day experiences by our writers together with our common video experiences.
Till subsequent time, au revoir!
