At the Cannes Film Festival, Robert De Niro targets Trump by receiving the honorary Palme d'Or

“In my country, we are fighting like dogs to preserve a democracy that seemed self-evident. We are all in this together, because art is a melting pot that brings us together, like tonight. Art seeks truth. Art loves diversity. That is why art is a threat. And that is why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists.”

A few months after portraying a former US president in a Netflix series, Robert De Niro launched a diatribe against the current tenant of the White House. “Robert De Niro calls Trump a ' philistine president ' in a very powerful speech at Cannes,” notes The Hollywood Reporter . On May 13, the star of Taxi Driver, The Godfather Part II, Goodfellas and so many other films received the honorary Palme d'Or for his career at the opening ceremony of the 78th Cannes Film Festival. After discussing his career, and thanking his co-star Leonardo DiCaprio , who presented him with the award, De Niro “used his time in the spotlight to defend democracy,” underlines the magazine of reference in Hollywood. The actor said:

“The philistine president of the United States has appointed himself head of one of our most prestigious cultural institutions [the Kennedy Center]. He has slashed funding for culture and education.”

The conclusion of the same speech sounded like a call to mobilization, to act “without violence, but with great passion, great determination.”

“It is time for all those who love freedom to mobilize, to protest, and when there are elections, to vote. Vote. Today, and for the next eleven days, we will show our strength and commitment by honoring art in this grandiose festival. Liberty, equality, fraternity*,” proclaimed the actor.

As The Hollywood Reporter points out, the Cannes Film Festival's opening ceremony, with its array of stars, industry professionals, and journalists, "is usually a night of prestigious cinematic celebration, presented in a very classic French manner." This year, it took on a highly political dimension, the weekly analyzes. The master of ceremonies, Laurent Lafitte, also took aim at Trump.

“At a time when climate, equality, feminism, LGBTQI, migrants, and racism are no longer just subjects for films, but also words banned by the administration of the world’s leading power, we have a duty to ask ourselves how we will speak out.” After a call for courage, the actor declared: “And if there is one place in the world where civic cinema exists, it is here, at the Cannes Film Festival.”

Finally, in another notable speech, Juliette Binoche – the president of the jury for this 78th edition of the festival – paid tribute to Fatima Hassouna. The Palestinian photojournalist “was killed in Gaza, along with 10 members of her family, when an [Israeli army] missile struck their home,” reports The Hollywood Reporter. And she was the focus of a documentary, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk , which will be screened on May 15 in Cannes as part of the program, parallel to the festival, of the Association of Independent Cinema for its Distribution (ACID). Juliette Binoche expressed herself thus: “The day before her death, she learned that the film was selected, here. Fatima should have been with us this evening.”

* In French in the text.