The symbolic edition of the Cannes Film Festival has opened

Red carpet, evening dresses and photographers’ floor: the symbolic edition of Cannes 2020, the most prestigious film festival in the world, opened on Tuesday with the ambition of giving oxygen to a sector suffocated by the health crisis .

“We said to ourselves that we could not not come to Cannes this year (…) We wanted to come and show cinema, show films, artists”, declared Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the Festival de Cannes , at the opening of the festival, scheduled to last until Thursday.

“Our presence here is a responsibility, it is pleasure because it is the culture and it is also a friendly and affectionate demonstration”, abounded Pierre Lescure, president of the Festival, indicating that “all the precautions sanitary facilities ”had been taken.

“Cannes 2021 will take place” he also launched to the public, praising “a very lively French cinema”.

Dozens of spectators followed one another, while respecting physical distancing, for an “almost normal” climb of the steps of the Palais des Festivals, which hosts, as usual, the event. But with wearing a mask and the obligation not to stay too long in order to avoid any grouping.

The festival kicked off with the screening of the film “Un triomphe”, a dramatic comedy by Emmanuel Courcol with Kad Merad and Marina Hands, in the presence of the film crew, with the exception of Kad Merad.

This “special edition” of the Festival, which had to be canceled last May due to a health crisis, will end on Thursday evening with the presentation of the Palme d’Or for best short film.

In total, four films, including two French, will be screened. Among the two foreign films: “Asa Ga Kuru” (True Mothers) by the Japanese Naomi Kawase, a regular at the festival, and a first Georgian film by Dea Kulumbegashvili, “Beginning” (“In the beginning”), crowned in San Sebastian ( Spain), which will be screened on Thursday afternoon and Wednesday evening respectively.

The event will end on Thursday evening with “Les Deux Alfred” by Bruno Podalydès, in the presence of the director and the main actress, Sandrine Kiberlain.

More than a festival, Cannes is an essential showcase for French and foreign films and a platform for rewards.

As the industry is in the throes of the doldrums and the government considers further restrictions to stem the second wave of the epidemic, many are hoping this event will convince producers not to postpone the theatrical release of their films.

Failing to have taken place in May, the Cannes Film Festival had resigned itself to broadcasting a list of 56 feature films that were part of its “official selection 2020”.

At the cost of major adaptations, other international festivals have since taken place, such as the Venice Film Festival in early September.