CANNES, July 7 — The Cannes film festival kicked off with a heavy political tone on Tuesday, with jury president Spike Lee denouncing authoritarians and the fact that black people are still “hunted down like animals” in the US.
“This world is run by gangsters,” Lee said in response to an emotional appeal from a Georgian journalist who spoke about a recent crackdown on a Pride celebration in her country, which she blamed on Russian influence. Five of the nine jury members are women , and the issue of female representation was also raised at the press conference.
She spoke about needing “an extra muscle” when she watched the male-dominated films of her youth — “to turn them into something that I could relate to,” and how deeply inspired she was when she saw Jane Campion’sDancing on tables, did not seem keen to address was the fact that his wife Leila Bekhti was among those being judged, as she stars in competition entry“She’s an actress like any other. I don’t see the problem.