Opening Night Of The 71st Cannes Film Festival
Todos Lo Saben opening film
The 71st Cannes Film Festival opened with the screening of Everybody Knows (Todos Lo Saben) starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. The new film by the Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi is filmed entirely in Spanish and sees the two co-acting for the sixth time in their acting career. Handy as they’re married. Their last film together was Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008).
The psychological thriller shot in the Iberian Peninsula follows the story of Laura (Penelope Cruz), who lives with her husband (Ricardo Darín) and children in Buenos Aires. When they return together to her native village in Spain for a family celebration, an unexpected event changes the course of their lives. Todos Lo Saben is the second opening film in Spanish since Pedro Almodóvar’s La Mala Educación in 2004.
The premiere of the film that coincided with the grand opening of the 71st Cannes Film Festival was – as expected – attended by a myriad of celebrities and A-listers including Cate Blanchett, Kristen Stewart, Lea Seydoux, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Benicio Del Toro, Julianne Moore among others. Some Z-listers were also in attendance including Tallia Storm (!). Storm, -fake name- it must be said, has nothing to do with film or is not associated with any showbiz whatsoever. She’s an ‘aspiring singer’ with unheard of songs if any at all. No one knows what such people really do, apart from the fact that they’re ‘frauds’ – everyone said. They throw themselves at the limelight -by her PR mum- based on ‘utter lies and deceit.’
La Storm invented -guided by her mum one presumes- that she went out with David Beckham’s son Brooklyn Beckham when they were both 15. He denied it wholly to all his fans on Instagram. That’s her claim to fame folks! We’re all surprised how these ‘muppets’ get invites and many talented actors don’t. We’re in talks to sort this out ASAP.
Jury of 71st Cannes Film Festival
The jury of the 71st Cannes Film Festival is made of five women and four men and is chaired by one of the most recogniseable and formidable names in the Hollywood and acting goddess – Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, Aviator, The Monuments Men).
In order to attend the venerable Cannes Film Festival, Cate likely ‘had to put on hold’ her acting for a short while. The actor has five films to be released soon (Mowgli, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Ocean’s 8, The House with a Clock in Its Walls and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World) with the sequel of How To Train Your Dragon still filming.
The full list of 71st Cannes Film Festival jury:
- Cate Blanchett
- Ava DuVernay
- Kristen Stewart
- Denis Villeneuve
- Chang Chen
- Léa Seydoux
- Khadja Nin
- Andrey Zvyagintsev
Cannes pleas to stay away from politics
This year, it is likely that two prominent filmmakers will not be on hand for their film’s premieres in competition because of political reasons. Jafar Panahi, director of “Three Faces,” has been under a twenty-year media and travel ban since 2010. Kirill Serebrennikov, director of “Summer,” has been placed under house arrest until October 13 due to fraud charges that many believe are politically motivated. (Paedos like Roman Polanski and abuser like Bill Cosby BANNED too!). Blanchett was asked whether the jury would take the status of those directors into consideration when determining the awards they will hand out at the end of the festival.
Choosing to stay above politics, Blanchett affirmed that “It’s is not a political film festival (Damn right)… This is not the Nobel peace prize, it’s the Palme d’Or. It’s a slightly different function. But, yes, it’s a terrible situation that two of the filmmakers will more than likely not be here when their films screen. It’s a very, very terrible situation.”
The Jury president insisted that she will look at each film with an open mind—knowing that reviewers and commentators may bring politics into play. That also applies to the question of the three films directed by women under Palme d’Or consideration. On the topic of women in filmmaking, Blanchett noted: [The films by women in the festival] “are not there because of their gender but because of the quality of their work. We will be assessing them as filmmakers, as we should be.”
Film judging aside, Cannes Film Festival has pushed the envelope when it comes to the organisation. Having set up a telephone hotline for victims of harassment, violence, and abuse this is the first film festival to do so. The cause and intentions are clearly noble, however, because the line is only open from 8th to 19th May and only offers a guide on who to contact next (police or hospital), it unclear as to how useful this hotline will prove to be. Someone tell the myriad of prostitutes here. Nonetheless, note down the hotline number: +33 (0)4 92 99 80 09.
Cannes Film Festival red carpet fashion
Earlier today, the jury dutifully attended the photocall and a press conference before heading off to their hotels and villas to be prepped for the night. The Hollywood trio – Blanchett, Stewart, Seydoux – all donned tailored 2-piece suits – pale salmon pink, light blue and green respectively – as if agreed beforehand.
Seydoux stole the show at the press call. The French-born actor looked immaculately ‘Cannes-glammed’ as she paired the jade suit with a white loose silk shirt. Stewart opted in for a more laid-back look pairing her suit with a stretching cotton top. Cate Blanchett however, we imagine, wore little underneath her suit revealing her cleavage to the press and photographers.
Fast forward to the opening night, Kristen Stewart looked every inch glamorous in a long lace frock with a silk ruffled panel on the front and a lion brooch. Black lace was in high demand on the night, with Penelope Cruz and Cate Blanchett opting for the same style. Julianne Moore and Araya Hargate wore long red gowns. Ikon’s favourite attire was worn by a Dutch model Romee Strijd. Romee channelled a Roman goddess in a sheer pleated silver dress with an open back and a very revealing front. She paired the look with a massive De Grisogono diamond necklace. The model and her red carpet companion for the evening Fawaz Gruosi were in good spirits as they posed for the photos.
The goofiest Cannes opening night outfit was donned by Russian TV personality/host Elena Lenina. If a Christmas tree and a seashell had a love child, with a lot of added sparkles, it would look like Lenina’s costume with protruding golden shimmery cones. To fit the theme, Lea Seydoux chose a white lace dress with, what seemed like a silver Christmas tinsel stripes. Unlike the photocall earlier today, Lea’s dress looked too busy as various elements of her dress were ‘clashing in a fight for attention’.
A festival dedicated to Pierre Rissient
On the opening night of the 71st Cannes Film Festival, a tribute was paid to the cinephile, historian and director Pierre Rissient who died last weekend.
The organisers of the festival issued a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the news that the cinephile, historian and director Pierre Rissient died last weekend, aged 81. That is why we would like to pay tribute to him, on this opening day of the 71st Festival de Cannes.
“For more than fifty years, Pierre was one of the most important members of the Cannes community and of the Festival, putting all of his creative energy into helping it show films from distant countries. We would wait for him to arrive on the Croisette every year with a mixture of joy, impatience and some nerves too, because he had such strong and original views on cinema and on the Festival de Cannes.”
Pierre Rissient was due to bring back to the festival the Korean director Lee Chang-dong, who he had greatly helped to become known around the world, as he had done with so many others before. He was due to present Cinq et la peau (Five and the Skin) to Cannes Classics, which he directed in 1982 and which has found its way back, in a restored version, to French theatres thanks to TF1 and Carlotta.
“The screening of Cinq Et La Peau on Monday, May 14, will be held in memory of Pierre Rissient,” confirmed organisers. “and will be our way of dedicating this 71st edition of the Festival de Cannes to him.”
Editor in Chief of Ikon London Magazine, journalist, film producer and founder of The DAFTA Film Awards (The DAFTAs).
