The Artists Take Note Of Bad Actors

Michael Hedges May 21, 2018 Follow on Twitter

The movie industry did what they always do at the Cannes International Film Festival. For the 71st time the red carpet was rolled out for the famous and fabulous, all looking good and well cared for. Films from all over the world were screened and awards given. The French Riviera weather was good. The vibe was compassion and concern.

The top prize - the Palme d’Ore - was awarded to the powerful drama Shoplifters, written and directed by the acclaimed Japanese film artist Hirokazu Kore-eda. Film critics, unanimously, cheered Shoplifters; “an outstanding domestic drama,” said the (UK) Daily Telegraph’s Robbie Collin (May 19). It brings together themes of family, loneliness and poverty set in Tokyo. Others compared it to Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.

American film icon Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, a true-drama about a black policeman infiltrating the notorious American racist group Ku Klux Klan, was awarded the Grand Prix. It was referred to as a satire, the closing scene featured a clip from US president Donald Trump. Of that, actor Cate Blanchett, the jury president, said the ending “blew us out of the cinema,” quoted by Reuters (May 19).

The Jury Prize was won by Capharnaum, a film from Lebanese writer/director Nadine Labaki. It’s a grim tale - “heart-wrenching,” said Vulture (May 18) - of poverty in Beirut slums. The story’s focus is on a child, played by 13 year old Zain Al Rafeea, suing his parents for bringing him into the world. Ms Labaki discovered Zain Al Rafeea, a Syrian refugee, on the Beirut streets.

There were other messages from Cannes, one in particular. On opening day 82 notable women film makers and actors walked the red carpet silently to the steps of the Palais des Festivals, “as a symbol of our determination and progress,” said the collective statement read by Ms Blanchett, quoted by the Guardian (May 12). The Weinstein legacy in the movie industry - and many others - has mobilized the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and discrimination. French black women actors staged their own red carpet protest pointing to racism.

Ahead of the closing award ceremony Italian actor Asia Argento, who has accused Mr. Weinstein of assault, blasted the film industry’s culture. "This festival was his hunting ground. And even tonight, sitting among you, there are those who still have to be held accountable for their conduct against women. For behavior that does not belong in this industry, does not belong in any industry or any workplace.”

A week earlier Israeli singer Netta Barzilai won the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon. Obviously, the troll farms usually on duty to point the public vote to certain countries were otherwise occupied that evening. Her winning song - "Toy" - rang “I’m not your toy, you stupid boy.” Yes, there was that chicken dance. “Thank you for celebrating diversity,” she said accepting the award.

But the business of Cannes is business. That, too, is getting a different look, the Netflix effect looming larger than ever. There were fewer “splashy” deals, said Market Watch (May 16). “The streaming companies have really become the biggest players,” said AGC Studios founder Stuart Ford, who was there for “true premium content.”

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