A Bold Opening: Challenging The Status Quo
The 78th Cannes film festival emphasised the prestige and the significance of this international celebration of all things film. Cannes Film festival is known by many to be the hotbed for the truly controversial, but not the ones without any soul or substance to them. As long as you have the passion and the drive to create a film portraying what you truly believe in; as long as you have the guts to challenge the status quo and not be afraid to put life into your vision, even if it breaks the already established rules of filmmaking, then you shall always have a place at Cannes film festival. This year was no different than the 77 that came before. The event, famous for hosting a myriad of different cultures, beliefs, and politics, had to tackle heavy subjects like the war in Gaza. A group of 350 individuals consisting of actors, directors, and producers, has managed to sign a letter – that was published during the first day of the event – condemning the Israeli attacks on gaza, and particularly focusing on the death of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna – who was killed before the film “Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk” premiered at the Cannes film festival. Fatima acts as the protagonist of this documentary, detailing life in Gaza during the war. The festival did not only revolve around this notable moment however, there were celebrations of legacies etched in the history of the film industry, surprise appearances, wins, and a whole lot of focus on Arab cinema – especially Egyptian one.
Honoring A Legacy: Robert De Niro Opens The Festival
The film festival kicked off with Robert De Niro receiving an honorary Palme D’or. The legendary 81 year old was honored for his iconic and influential roles in worldwide renowned movies such as “The Godfather part 2”, “Taxi Driver”, “The King of Comedy”, and more recently “Killers of the Flower Moon”. Those were not just the highlights of Robert De Niro’s long film career, but to speak of all the viable examples and go in depth, is to write a full length book about it – that is how impactful and relevant Robert De Niro has been on the silver screen.
Surprise Recognition: Denzel Washington Celebrated
An honorary Palme D’or win that came on such a short notice – and caught everyone by surprise – was specifically awarded to none other than Denzel Washington. On the 19th of May, the organisers at Cannes thought it was fitting to award the 70 year old in recognition of his outstanding and illustrious film career, on the same day as his latest collaboration with esteemed director Spike Lee for “Highest 2 Lowest”.
The Egyptian Presence: Egyptian Pavilion Takes Home The Win
Switching our focus to the Arab scene during Cannes, a strong Egyptian presence permeated throughout the film festival. Starting with the unexpected achievement of winning “Best Pavilion Design” award. The Egyptian pavilion at the Cannes film festival (Marché du Film) was designed by the extraordinarily talented film art director, Sherin Farghal. El Gouna film festival – which was part of the overall Egyptian pavilion – has announced the win on their social media pages, citing how this particular recognition adds to the fuel that drives them to continue showcasing Egyptian cinema with pride at the world stage.
Reflection & Ambition: Egyptian Stars Grace The Event
Recognizable faces graced the red carpet, with names like Youssra, Amina Khalil, Mai Omar, and Raya Abirached. Each one of these elegant names left a discerning and lasting presence, as they showed up clad in luxurious dresses. This culminated in a panel by the name of “Egypt: Arab World’s Blockbuster Nation” presented by “Arab Cinema Center”. The panel consisted of figures like Youssra, Hussein Fahmy, Co-Founder and Executive Director at El Gouna Film Festival, Amr Mansi, Co-Founder of El Gouna Film Festival, Samih Sawiris, Managing Director at Egypt’s film commission, Ahmed Badawi, and finally the producer and director of “Aisha Can’t Fly Away”, Sawsan Yusuf and Morad Mostafa respectively. They reflect on the legacy of Egyptian cinema, how it breaks all kinds of local records, and then manages to break away overseas to receive recognition and accolades. The panel reiterated how Egypt is going through a new golden age of storytelling currently, with young filmmakers taking chances with out of the box ideas and delivering works of art that breaks the usual taboo.
Breaking Taboos: Morad Mostafa Premiers First Feature Film
Speaking of works of art breaking the taboo, “Aisha Can’t Fly Away” – a film directed by rising Egyptian filmmaker Morad Mostafa, and starring Buliana Simona alongside Ziad Zaza – just made its exclusive premiere at the Cannes film festival. The film tackles the sensitive subject of African immigrant populations living in Egypt. The population gets segregated and concentrated in different areas, based on nationality, which leads to ambitions of vying for control through violence. All of this is unraveling with Aisha acting as a witness who gets involved as the film progresses further. “Aisha Can’t Fly Away” had the exclusive opportunity to premiere at the Cannes film festival under the “Un Certain Regard” selection of films, which features new and culturally diverse works that are daring and bold. Mora Mostafa, Ziad Zaza, and Buliana Simona made a striking appearance at this year’s red carpet for the Cannes film festival to celebrate the premiere of the film.
Fin: Cannes Wraps Up
Cannes film festival brings something new to the table each year as it celebrates the legacy of film throughout the world. It starts conversations, makes bold statements, and allows for the freedom and the creativity of the people behind the moving pictures we all love and cherish to shine without any unreasonable restrictions. This year, Cannes kept its promise of 78 years, to showcase the unparalleled, the undaunted, but most importantly, the most deserving.
