The Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival opened with not only stars and glamour but also a focus on Gaza.

French actress Juliette Binoche paid tribute to Fatima Hassouna, a young Palestinian photojournalist who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month. Fatima was featured in a documentary shown at the festival. Her death, just a day after hearing about the film’s screening, deeply moved many people. Many actors and filmmakers signed an open letter asking for an end to the violence in Gaza. Some also questioned Juliette Binoche for not signing it. During her speech, she said that art stays alive even when people are gone and that it tells our stories and dreams.

The festival organizers usually try to avoid politics, but the current global situation made that impossible. The festival also showed support for Ukraine by screening documentaries. Films from other countries like Iran, Japan, and the US are also in the competition, keeping Cannes a truly international event.