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Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux said on Monday that Cannes is praising the rapist, as Adele Haenel recently hinted in an open letter published in Telerama last week. I asked reporters if they really believed there was.
Henel, who quit acting after Roman Polanski won Best Director at the César Awards in 2020, said he retired from the film industry for political reasons, and Cannes said, “If you want to protect the rapist masterminds. I’m ready to do anything,” he said, quoting Polanski. Gérard Depardieu and Dominique Boutonnat, President of the National Film Commission (CNC).
At a press conference ahead of the opening night of the 2023 festival, Frémaux said that Hännel, who had been to Cannes in 2019 to present “Portrait of a Lady in Flames” in the competition section, was “false”. He told reporters he was making “radical” comments.
“When she came to Cannes, she didn’t think about it unless she was plagued with some crazy cacophony,” Frémaux said. “People turn to Cannes to talk about certain issues, and that’s normal because we give them a platform.”
Frémaux told reporters directly: “But if you think this is a festival for rapists, you won’t be here to listen to me and complain that you can’t get tickets. I wouldn’t say that,’ he said.
Frémaux also addressed criticism of the inclusion of Maywen’s opening-night film Jeanne du Barry, in which Johnny Depp plays King Louis XV of France.
“I don’t know about Johnny Depp’s image in America. The truth is, I have only one rule in my life: freedom of thought, freedom of speech and action within the legal framework.” Frémaux said.
“If Johnny Depp had been banned from doing movies or had been banned from movies, we wouldn’t be talking about it here. It could have entered the competition. She was supposed to be the eighth female director,” Frémaux said. “this [controversy] After the movie was announced at Cannes, everyone knew that Johnny shot the movie in France… I don’t know why she chose him, but that’s something you should ask Maiwenn. It’s a question.”
Frémaux added: If there’s one person in the world who didn’t show any interest in this highly publicized trial, it’s me. I don’t know what it is. I also like Johnny Depp as an actor. ”
Frémaux also spoke about the Palme d’Or winner heading the jury this year, saying it reflected the festival’s ambition to do something new. Ruben Ostlund, director of “Triangle of Sorrow” and “The Square”, will head the jury for 2023.
“Like I said to Ruben, we want women.” [to preside over the jury], but the male first choice was him. He was Plan A for men, not Plan B,” Frémaux said.
Frémaux describes Östrund as a shining light in European cinema for the last five to ten years, adding, “He’s a cinephile…and through him we shine a light on Scandinavia and all this generation.” Joachim Trier, who was recently on the jury, is part of the new Nordic school of aesthetics. The composition of the jury is similar. They are amazing and unexpected people that I love and respect. We will follow him 85 years later, so it is ripe for new challenges. ”
