Romain Bitot / Photo credit: PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP 20:00 pm, May 28, 2023

The Palme d'Or, awarded to the French director Justine Triet for "Anatomy of a fall" is likely to remain in the memories for the speech that accompanied it this Saturday evening, incriminating the government in its management of the pension reform. A speech that caused a wave of protest, starting with Rima Abdul Malak, who deemed it "unfair and ungrateful".

A political cinema? During the presentation of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival this Saturday, the winner took advantage of a speech to castigate the government on the issue of pension reform. Justine Triet, director of the film "Anatomy of a fall" recalled a "historical protest, unanimous", which according to her was "denied and repressed in a shocking way".

"And this domineering power pattern, increasingly uninhibited, is breaking out in several areas. Obviously, socially, this is where it is most shocking. But we can also see this in all other spheres of society. And cinema is no exception. The commodification of culture that the neoliberal government defends is breaking the French cultural exception," she said at the award ceremony.

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"Ideological background of the extreme left"

A wave of protests of all kinds followed, starting with the government and especially the Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, who deemed the director's speech "unfair and ungrateful". "There is clearly a far-left ideological background. I respect her positions, she obviously has this argument in mind, "she protested on BFMTV.

"She starts from the pension reform that she contests to finally criticize today's aid system and say that before it was better. I would like her to give me the figures, the facts on which she bases herself to consider that today culture is commodified and the cultural exception broken," added the Minister of Culture.

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Cannes and its claims

The controversy is reminiscent of other, older ones, which also took place at the Cannes Film Festival. As a reminder, in May 1968, members of the jury and directors such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard asked for the festival to be stopped in a context of significant social tensions. "It is a question of demonstrating, with a delay of a week and a half, the solidarity of the cinema on the student and workers' movements that are happening," Godard said. At the time, the call of the director and his companions was heard. The Cannes Film Festival closed on 19 May 1968 at noon, instead of 24 May and without awards.

Less political this time, but just as committed, Maurice Pialat, in 1987, won the Palme d'Or for his film "Under the Sun of Satan". A feature film that does not please everyone. After a few whistles at the Palace, Pialat reacted with character: "If you don't like me, I can tell you that I don't love you either."

Actors and directors use Cannes to convey committed messages. And so do the heads of state. Last year, Volodymyr Zelensky made an appearance via video conference at the opening ceremony. Three months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he gave a speech full of cinematic references. "We need a new Chaplin who will prove once again that cinema is not silent." A 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival this year, also marked by the jury's support for striking Hollywood screenwriters, which seems to reconnect with its committed identity.