CANNES Festival 2019

[Chris Knipp]

The rightness of the dominance of Cannes.

"The French are very serious about film, and rightly so; the art of cinema owes much of its development to France. So it’s fitting that the country is the home for the world’s most prestigious film festival. And though their commitment to tradition sometimes runs afoul of progressive ideas about dress codes and film distribution, there’s little doubt that Cannes will retain its spot atop the festival hierarchy for years to come." - Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

I've never been to Cannes, but my annual visits to Paris in fall and sometimes spring have always reaffirmed a sense that cinema deeply matters in France and is uniquely honored and respected there.


Alain Delon receiving special Palm at Cannes

The special Palme d'Or for Alain Delon

You may recall there was some controversy over Alain Delon's receiving an honorary Palm for his work as an actor since 1957 due to reports of his behavior and views and a petition signed by over 26,000 people opposing the award. But Festivalpresident Thierry Frémaux declared that this was not the Nobel Prize and the award would go ahead he got the award, and wept when he received it. See the thumbnail bio of Delon on IMDb. See also Sheena Scott's Forbes article about Delon's career and the award. One can discuss this issue endlessly, but even if Delon has expressed reprehensible views they are not expressed in his work, which shines through his performances for some of the world's greatest directors. He was not Leni Riefenstahl. And even her Nazi propaganda has to be acknowledged for its impressive artistry. Sometimes one must recognize artistic work and not confuse it with the person who does it. The gender parity issue, however, is one that Cannes has to confront more effectively.