Thierry Frémaux: “Foreign films nourish the American culture”

“The only thing I feel pressure about is beer.” The pun (referring to draft beer, called bière à la pression in French) comes from a relaxed and affable Thierry Frémaux, who welcomed journalists at the press conference on the eve of the 78th Cannes Film Festival. The event will open tomorrow with an honorary Palme d’Or awarded to Robert De Niro, during a ceremony hosted by Laurent Lafitte. “Last year was very good. This year, it’s still too early to tell, but the festival is always a place to be happy. People come here to share a common passion, the passion for cinema, and we do so with pleasure and joy.”

During the conference, different topics were addressed in over an hour by the General Delegate, ranging from Trump-era tariffs to the war in Ukraine, from gender equality to having critics on the jury (“a tradition that should be revived”). Among this year’s novelties is a police-operated drone monitoring the Croisette.

Regarding the opening film, Partir un jour by Amélie Bonnin, he explained: “The selection criterion is a same-day theatrical release, and in the past ten years the ceremony has also been broadcast in about a hundred French cinemas, so it’s more likely that a French film will be chosen. For example, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which would have made an excellent opening, already had its release date fixed for next week, and you can’t change the major studios’ plans. This is the first time a debut film opens the festival, and the third time it’s a woman director, after Diane Kurys and Maïwenn. Partir un jour is a musical comedy, produced by Sylvie Pialat, and one of its virtues is its brevity. It means we’ll get to eat earlier.”

On American films and Tom Cruise’s decision not to hold a press conference, Frémaux said: “The American selection is strong and rich, with debut films by actresses like Kristen Stewart and Scarlett Johansson. Spike Lee is bringing us a Kurosawa remake. Also in competition are Ari Aster, Wes Anderson, and Richard Linklater. The writers’ strike and the Hollywood fire didn’t ruin the American program. The U.S. is and remains a great cinematic country, and for my generation, loving cinema means loving American cinema. There won’t be a Tom Cruise press conference, but we’ll have a masterclass by his director Christopher McQuarrie, an artist who navigates a franchise with his own personal style. Mission: Impossible is a great spectacle, and the Dolby Atmos technology of the Lumière Theater makes it even more extraordinary.”

He added: “When Sean Baker received his Oscar, he said everything started at Cannes. We shouldn’t fear reactions, because this is the best audience. Cannes is a global festival, and even the Oscars have opened up to the world, with films like Parasite, Emilia Perez, Anatomy of a Fall, and Flow, which also started at Cannes.”

On tariffs, the General Delegate commented: “President Trump says one thing and then contradicts himself, so let’s talk about it in a year. But the idea that American cinema is harmed by foreign cinema doesn’t hold up. Foreign films are nourishment for the American imagination and culture.”

On Artificial Intelligence he added: “It’s everywhere and increasingly present. In Japan, a novel was written entirely by AI and marketed as such. I come from a tradition of cultural exception, of copyright. Nowadays the right of actors is also involved, but this is a global issue, that doesn’t concern only cinema. In France, at the moment, there’s even talk of banning social media for children.”

“The rule is that films in competition must be released in French theaters. Platform films are welcome, but out of competition. Netflix does formidable work, and of course we want them at the festival, but not in competition” Frémaux commented on the role of platforms in modern day cinema.

Brigitte Bardot, 90 years old and recently giving her first interview after a long silence, criticized contemporary cinema as “boring.” Frémaux replied: “I don’t agree. She was an extraordinary actress, and I admire her fight for animals. But idols change with the times. I adored Eddy Merckx, but today cycling is something else.”

May 13 is scheduled as a Ukrainian Day, with three films: “It’s a small hope for peace and negotiation, in line with what Pope Leo XIV has indicated. Filmmakers risk their lives to make films, all over the world: Andrzej Wajda, René Clement, the Iranians. We stand with these artists who express the need and urgency for freedom.” He concluded: “When there’s real and lasting peace, we’ll change our policy toward Russia. We miss Russian cinema, but for now, the boycott continues.”

As for the absence of Argentine cinema, the speculation is that it has suffered from Javier Milei’s policies? “Argentine cinema is fragile today. The economic conditions are precarious. The Argentine president was democratically elected, and it’s not up to me to judge him, but he cut subsidies to cinema. Yet, even from a nationalist and libertarian perspective, cinema is important to enhance a country’s value and strengthen its image.”

On the eternal return of the Dardenne brothers: “This is their ninth time. Ken Loach has come even more often. They make consistent, socially engaged, aesthetically important cinema. We support directors we admire, but we’re also open to new voices, like China’s Bi Gan, America’s Ari Aster, and France’s Hafsia Herzi.”