The first week of the Cannes Film Festival was a showcase of stardust and cinematic crilliance
Words CAROLINA BENJUMEA
The first week of the 77th Cannes Film Festival has been filled with pleasant surprises, amazing fashion, and remarkable masterpieces. From biopics to westerns, science fiction, and musicals, this year’s selection showcases the creative prowess of today’s biggest names in cinema. This year’s lineup is characterized by a revival of the past, the liberation of the self, and the transgression of gender norms. Themes of sensuality, cross-dressing, family dynamics, and the nature of humankind are at the heart of this week’s selection. Director Jacques Audiard included in his film ‘Emilia Perez’ a nod to James Toback’s Fingers with ‘The Beat That My Heart Skipped’ and references to ‘The Sisters Brothers’ and ‘A Prophet’. This musical, starring Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Zoe Saldana, blends crime, comedy, and trans visibility, being one of the most acclaimed by critics so far. For the red carpet, Gomez wore a Saint Laurent gown, pairing it with the stunning Diamond Swan Necklace by Bvlgari. Karla Sofía and Zoe Saldana also dazzled in Saint Laurent, the producer of this feature film via Saint Laurent Productions.
After the success of ‘Poor Things’ with Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos, this year’s ‘Kinds of Kindness’ is one of the most talked-about films by the public. The director and actress reunite for a contemporary movie which, according to Yorgos, features “three different stories, with four or five actors playing a role in each story… it was almost like making three movies.” In typical Lanthimos fashion, the film explores themes of sexuality, lust, and nudity. For the red carpet, Stone wore a plunging V-neck burgundy sequin gown by Louis Vuitton. Family relationships are explored in a creative way, throughout the comedy ‘Marcello Mio’ by director Christophe Honoré and the biopic ‘The Apprentice’. In Marcello Mio Chiara Mastroianni pays tribute to her own father, Marcello Mastroianni, by dressing and playing like him. This film balances funny moments with an in-depth story. The Apprentice by Ali Abbasi, the story of a young Donald Trump played by Sebastian Stan, depicts his relationship with his father and his quest for validation and emancipation from him. Francis Ford Coppola is back once again with a sci-fi film that took him 40 years to make. Starring Adam Driver, Megalopolis showcases an imaginary America on a quest to change humanity. Known for his in-depth narratives, this film is no exception in exploring journeys of self-discovery. The American Western genre is represented by Horizon by Kevin Costner. The film received an epic twelve-minute standing ovation, and even though it is out of competition, the screening became one of the favorites among the public.
During the opening ceremony, Meryl Streep wore a silk Dior Haute Couture gown to receive the honorary Palme d’Or for her invaluable contributions to cinema. The award, crafted by Chopard, was made with 118 grams of 18-carat yellow gold. Another star who dazzled in Dior was Yseult, wearing the iconic 1940s ‘New Look’ that catapulted Mr. Dior to fame as the designer of the generation. Greta Gerwig, the first American female director to serve as jury president of the Cannes Film Festival, has worn a series of statement-making pieces. These include selections from Maison Margiela’s Spring/Summer ’24 couture collection, a stunning red Armani Privé dress, and a custom Prada gown. Other stars who have impressed on the red carpet include Cate Blanchett in Jean Paul Gaultier Couture and Bella Hadid in Saint Laurent Spring-Summer 2024, Gucci archival from Spring 2005, and Dsquared Fall 2006.
