Cannes Proved Its Own Value With This Year’s Palme d’Or Winner

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Despite a sudden power outage affecting southeastern France on the final day of the Cannes Film Festival, nothing could halt the event’s momentum. As I was immersed in Oliver Laxe’s gripping survival thriller, Sirât, the sound and screen suddenly went out. But true to Cannes spirit, the crowd reacted with enthusiasm, and within a short while, the film resumed. The Palais des Festivals switched to an alternate power source, ensuring that all remaining screenings, press conferences, photocalls, and the closing ceremony continued as planned.

During the 12-day film festival, there’s much debate about which movie will win the prestigious Palme d’Or. However, predicting the outcome requires insight into the thoughts and interactions of the jury, composed of Juliette Binoche, Halle Berry, Alba Rohrwacher, Jeremy Strong, Leila Slimani, Dieudo Hamadi, Payal Kapadia, Carlos Reygada, and Hong Sangsoo. On stage at the Lumière, they were joined by several prominent figures such as Cate Blanchett, Coralie Fargeat (director of The Substance), Rossy de Palma (Almodóvar’s muse), and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who was notably well-dressed. Notable attendees included 87-year-old Claude Lelouch and John C. Reilly, who performed a rendition of “La Vie en rose” alongside a surprise guitarist, which seemed to amuse the audience.

We created you from different tribes so that you could learn about each other.

Speaking from my perspective, I wholeheartedly praise the festival’s insight that cinema serves as a platform for broader social dialogues to unfold. In essence, here, these discussions are nurtured to grow where they might otherwise be overshadowed by the self-interested realm of national and personal political agendas.

Now, regarding whether Cannes is a sanctuary or a bubble, it’s not always straightforward to decide. Despite the idealistic cinematic vision presented, there’s often room for debate.

During this ceremony, however, the most striking comment underscored the latter. Palestinian actor and filmmaker Tawfeek Barhom, winner of the short film prize for “I’m Glad You’re Dead Now,” concluded his speech by echoing Jesse Welles’ words from “War Isn’t Murder”: “20 years from now, when visiting the Gaza Strip, try not to think about the dead, and have a nice trip.”

Still, it’s challenging to maintain cynicism when the ultimate prize was bestowed upon Iranian director Jafar Panahi. Overwhelmed with astonishment and joy, he hesitated before gracefully ascending the stage to accept for his film “A Simple Accident.

It was quite surprising to meet Panahi, looking rather flustered and wearing sunglasses, in person. Despite being convicted of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” he was prohibited from creating films and leaving Iran for 15 years. Yet, he managed to produce movies surreptitiously without official approval, and they gained recognition at festivals like Berlin, Cannes, and others during this period. He was incarcerated in 2010, and again around the time his last film, “No Bears,” premiered at Venice in 2022. However, following a recent court ruling in his favor, all his sentences have been lifted, allowing him to travel freely and work officially again. Interestingly, if there’s any film that embodies the unattainable idealism that festival participants strive for every year, it’s this one – “A Simple Accident.”

A film titled “A Simple Accident” presents a unique blend of dark humor and tragic events. The narrative revolves around a man named Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), who suspects that a customer at his garage is actually the intelligence agent who interrogated and tortured him during his imprisonment. This individual, nicknamed “Peg Leg” by Vahid and other detainees due to his prosthetic limb and distinctive voice, was always masked during their encounters. As Vahid abducts and prepares to kill the man, he begins to harbor doubts about his identity. In the process, he gathers a group of distraught, angry, and sorrowful captives, one being a bride on the eve of her wedding day. None can agree on a plan of action. The movie explores themes such as coping with deep-seated trauma and the search for closure. It portrays the raw anger of its characters while maintaining a humanistic touch. The filmmaker uses this work to express his personal experiences with mistreatment by the Iranian government, making it all the more impactful. Any festival that recognizes its merit showcases its own worth. Indeed, it was an excellent selection for the Cannes Film Festival — a significant event that should never be undermined.

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2025-05-24 22:54