She was born at the Festival de Cannes. Her humble, powerful grace will be missed. I would like to dedicate this opening ceremony to Émilie Dequenne.”
It was with these words that Laurent Lafitte addressed the audience of the Grand Théâtre Lumière as the spotlights rose this evening on the 78th edition of the Festival de Cannes. With wit and conviction, the French actor took the opportunity to pay tribute to actors and actresses, during a ceremony more than ever resonating with the echoes of the world.
Citing James Stewart, Jean Gabin, Josephine Baker, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Gere, Isabelle Adjani, Taraneh Alidoosti, Rock Hudson, Adèle Haenel and Volodymyr Zelensky, Laurent Lafitte urged us to follow their courage “through our words, our choices, and our refusals, so that we may live up to Frank Capra’s words: ‘Only the daring should make films.’”
And beneath the embrace that adorns this edition’s poster: “We always wonder if cinema can change the world. But if we’re asking it for more inclusivity, more representation, more parity, then clearly it can change the world. And sometimes, it only takes telling the story of a man and a woman to reach the sublime and the universal.”
The master of ceremonies then invited the nine members of this year’s Feature Film Jury to join him on stage: Halle Berry, Payal Kapadia, Alba Rohrwacher, Leïla Slimani, Dieudo Hamadi, Hong Sangsoo, Carlos Reygadas, Jeremy Strong, and their President: Juliette Binoche, “born an actress in this very room.”
Tribute to Photojournalist Fatima Hassouna
The French actress delivered words attuned to the rumblings of the world, inviting us to nurture gentleness and trust, to come together, to heal ignorance, to shed fear and selfishness, to change course, and in the face of pride, to reclaim humility.
“In all regions of the world,” she added, “artists are fighting every day and turning that resistance into art. On April 16 at dawn, in Gaza, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna and ten of her loved ones were killed by a missile that struck their home. She had written: ‘Death passed through me. The shooter’s bullet pierced me, and I became an angel.’ The day before her death, she learned that the film she appeared in had been selected here, at the Festival de Cannes. Fatima should have been with us tonight. Art endures. It is the powerful witness of our lives and our dreams—and we, the audience, embrace it. May the Festival de Cannes, where everything can shift, contribute to this!”
Another tribute followed, this time to the great filmmaker David Lynch, who passed away this past January. He shared with the next guest a love of mystery and the uncanny. French-Canadian singer Mylène Farmer performed for him, her ethereal voice offering an unreleased track—a lullaby of peace and eternal rest.
At the peak of the evening, a standing ovation greeted DiCaprio’s entrance. The American actor, who owes his breakout and his encounter with Martin Scorsese to Robert De Niro expressed his admiration before presenting him with an Honorary Palme d’or:
“Tonight, I have the immense honor of standing before you to pay tribute to someone who is our model. Robert De Niro’s legacy lies in how he inspired actors to treat their craft not just as solo performance but as transformation. Robert De Niro is not just a great actor—he is The Actor. With Martin Scorsese, they told some of cinema’s most legendary stories, uncompromising stories. They didn’t just make movies—they redefined what cinema could be. They elevated the actor-director relationship into a crucible of risk-sharing.”
In response, the cinema legend addressed the Grand Théâtre Lumière with a call to action—for freedom and democracy, without delay: “My sincere thanks to the Festival de Cannes for creating this community, this universe, this ‘home’ for those who love telling stories on the big screen. The Festival is a platform for ideas, a celebration of our work. Cannes is fertile ground for new projects. (…)
In my country, we are fighting tooth and nail to defend democracy—something we once took for granted. This concerns everyone. Because the arts are, by nature, democratic. Art is inclusive; it brings people together. Art is a quest for freedom. It embraces diversity. That’s why art is a threat today. That’s why we are a threat to the autocrats and fascists of this world.
We must act—now. Without violence, but with passion and determination. The time has come. Everyone who believes in freedom must organize, protest, and vote in elections. Tonight, we reaffirm our commitment by honoring the arts—and liberty, equality, and fraternity.”
To conclude this opening ceremony and launch twelve days of screenings for the 78th edition, American director Tarantino took the stage and, with full voice, declared: “IT’S MY HONOR TO DECLARE THE 78TH FESTIVAL OPEN!!!”
