The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival kicked off Tuesday night with a stirring ceremony where cinematic grandeur, tribute to icons, and bold voices took center stage. On the Croisette, legends lit up the red carpet, powerful words filled the air, and emotion swept the iconic stairs.
From the very first minutes of the evening, the tone was clear: Cannes celebrates cinema and challenges its history, its myths, and its responsibilities.
Honorary Palme d’Or to Robert De Niro
One of the night’s most unforgettable moments came when Leonardo DiCaprio, 50, presented the honorary Palme d’Or to 81-year-old Robert De Niro, a true titan of American cinema.
The two actors have shared the screen several times, and their connection is undeniable. On stage, DiCaprio spoke warmly of his mentor, recalling their first collaboration on This Boy’s Life (Blessures secrètes) in 1993, and their most recent on Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese. Visibly moved, De Niro accepted the award with humility—and with grit, as he didn’t shy away from voicing criticism of current U.S. political dynamics.
A Black-and-White Tribute in Song
The atmosphere shifted to a more ethereal note when French pop icon Mylène Farmer stepped forward, clad in black, her voice soft and haunting, to honor late American filmmaker David Lynch. Lynch, who passed away this January at age 78, was a major artistic influence on Farmer. Before a backdrop of clips from his films, she performed a new song, Confession, whose poetic lyrics evoked his lingering presence: “Everywhere, everywhere, it’s crazy—I feel you close to me…”
It was a moment of pure reverence—subtle, dreamlike, and deeply moving. A longtime cinephile and former Cannes jury member, Farmer has often drawn inspiration from Lynch’s work, notably in her 1991 track Psychiatric, which echoes The Elephant Man.
Juliette Binoche Breaks the Silence on Power and Icons
Another powerful highlight came earlier that day during the official jury press conference. Juliette Binoche, the festival’s jury president, was asked to comment on Gérard Depardieu’s recent conviction: an 18-month suspended sentence for sexual assault against two women during a 2021 film shoot.
Her response was poised, thoughtful, and far from rehearsed. “He’s not a monster—he’s a man who has been de-sacralized,” she said, pushing back against the idea of ‘sacred monsters’ in the arts. “The sacred isn’t in the person. It’s in the act of creation.”
Partir un jour Opens the Festival with Gentle Nostalgia
Following the ceremony, audiences discovered Partir un jour, directed by Amélie Bonnin. For the first time, a debut feature film directed by a woman was chosen to open Cannes. Adapted from her César-winning short film, it tells the story of Cécile, played by singer Juliette Armanet, a successful Parisian chef who returns to her rural hometown after years of estrangement.
There, she reconnects with buried memories, unspoken tensions, and the fragments of an unfinished adolescence. Critics praised the film’s emotional subtlety and nostalgic soundtrack, even if some noted a slight narrative timidity. Still, its selection marks a significant moment: a fresh female voice ushered into the prestigious Cannes spotlight.
Mission Accomplished: Tom Cruise Returns in Style
The day after the festival’s launch promises a more adrenaline-charged atmosphere. Tom Cruise is back in Cannes to present Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the long-anticipated final chapter of the franchise. And as expected, Cruise did not disappoint. Early footage already teased high-octane stunts—from aerial acrobatics clinging to the wings of a plane to a deep-sea dive into a submarine.
The film, running nearly three hours, picks up right where Dead Reckoning: Part One left off. Agent Ethan Hunt must face off against a rogue AI known as “The Entity.” According to insiders, the stunts and scale promise to close the saga with a bang.
A Packed Competition Kicks Off
Meanwhile, the official competition got underway. Two films opened the race for the Palme d’Or: Sound of Falling (In die Sonne schauen), a German family saga spanning four generations of women, by newcomer Mascha Schilinski; and Two Prosecutors by Sergei Loznitsa, a stark dive into the Stalin-era justice system.
Notably, this year’s selection showcases seven films directed by women—a sign of growing parity. Juliette Binoche welcomed the shift, calling it a long-overdue but welcome evolution. “Cannes is increasingly in tune with the world’s social and political changes,” she said. “Sometimes it leads, sometimes it follows—but it’s always moving.”
Cannes 2025: Memory, Beauty, and a Taste for Revolution
This first evening laid the foundation for what promises to be a festival both dazzling and introspective. By honoring legends, giving space to contemporary voices, and confronting uncomfortable truths, Cannes 2025 isn’t just paying tribute to cinema—it’s questioning it, revealing it, and occasionally, reinventing it.
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