Reuters
source : reuters
The Cannes Film Festival officially started on Tuesday night with a more muted tone than in years past, with fewer A-list Hollywood celebrities on the red carpet and politics largely absent from the opening ceremony speeches.
Elijah Wood walked the carpet ahead of presenting “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson with an honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement. Others on the carpet included model Heidi Klum, legendary actor Joan Collins and Indian film star Alia Bhatt.
This year’s jury, including Oscar-nominated actors Demi Moore and Stellan Skarsgard, also walked the red carpet into the plush 2,300-seat Grand Lumiere Theatre ahead of the screening of opening film “The Electric Kiss,” a French-language romantic comedy.
GAMBLE PAID OFF
Jackson, 64, recalled how he brought a clip from his first “Rings” film to Cannes 25 years ago in a bid to win over an audience sceptical of his decision to shoot the entire trilogy simultaneously. “It was a huge gamble,” he recalled.
The bet paid off, with the critically and commercially successful series winning 17 Oscars and making nearly $3 billion in revenue.
