Political messages leave their mark on the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony
The Cannes Film Festival began with an opening ceremony marked by political statements from renowned actors Juliette Binoche and Robert De Niro.
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Binoche, who is also the president of the jury that will award the Palme d'Or, spoke about Fatima Hassouna, a photojournalist from Gaza who was killed, during the ceremony attended by numerous stars.
The 25-year-old Hassouna was killed along with 10 members of her family in an Israeli airstrike last month, just one day before a documentary about her was selected to premiere at Cannes.
Binoche said, "She should have been here with us tonight. Artists in all parts of the world are struggling every day and incorporating resistance into their art."
"AGAINST A THICK-HEADED PRESIDENT"
The guest of honor at the opening ceremony, famous actor Robert De Niro, received the Honorary Palme d'Or for his contributions to cinema from actor and frequent co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.
The 81-year-old veteran actor said, "We are in a great fight for democracy in our country against a thick-headed president."
De Niro also harshly criticized the plans announced by Trump on May 5 to "impose a 100 percent tariff on films shot in foreign countries."
The famous actor stated, "You cannot put a price on creativity, but apparently you can impose a tariff. Of course, all these attacks are unacceptable. This is not just an American problem; it is a global issue."