She was the candidate of the Ministry of Culture, that is, Emmanuel Macron.
But she was elected against massive resistance: in 2023, Iris Knobloch will take over as director of the Cannes Film Festival, succeeding Pierre Lescure.
This makes her the first woman and the first non-French woman to head this institution, which plays a special role in cultural policy.
Juerg Altwegg
Freelance writer in the feuilleton.
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The lawyer studied in Munich and is admitted to the bar in Germany and America.
She has worked for Bank Lazard and the hotel group Accor.
Since she managed the European business of the American company Time Warner, she is perceived as a "Trojan horse" by Hollywood, the eternal rival.
Seven industry associations - from cinema operators to filmmakers - have complained about the "lack of transparency" in the election process.
There are also protests against the agreement concluded with Netflix.
According to this, films made by French directors and produced by Netflix can be shown in Cannes.
In view of the economic potency and increasing cultural importance of Netflix, this development is probably inevitable.
But the filmmakers' exclusion from the rest of the world is a scandal.
From 2023 onwards they want to find a solution.
At her hearing as a candidate, Iris Knobloch is said to have quoted the French film saint François Truffaut: "Cinema is a perfect mixture of spectacle and truth."