Of Ukraine, Russia and India: Cannes Film Festival daily diary

The war in Ukraine casts a grim shadow on the French Riviera as the 75th edition of Cannes Film Festival, one of the “big five” international film festivals, begins this evening.

In a press conference on the eve of the festival, Delegate General Thierry Fremaux, asserted that it wouldn’t welcome any “official Russian delegations or any entities linked to the Russian government”. This includes any journalists representing, defending, or upholding the official line.

However, Fremaux was nonchalant on being questioned about why India, that had abstained in the UN Security Council vote on the issue and maintained its ties with Russia, had been named ‘country of honour’ at the 2022 festival. “We didn’t keep a list of the films or countries which supported or didn’t vote at the UN,” he said. “We have a different position from that of France or the European Commission.” He said that they hadn’t gone as far as to sanction countries that support Russia.

Fremaux was as ambiguous on the choice of Russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov’s film Tchaikovsky’s Wife that features in the competition section of the festival. Fremaux defended the choice of the film that has been sanctioned by many countries because of the Russian money involved (Kinoprime Foundation is one of the production companies), saying that rules apply to films shot after February 24, when the main Russian invasion of Ukraine began. “No film produced since February 24 has been selected. The film [Tchaikovsky’s Wife] had already been shot so that is the rule we decided to follow.” He also asserted that filmmakers like Serebrennikov have been critical of their government, taken major risks by doing so and continue to make films under tremendous pressures and dangers.

While Fremaux wasn’t in agreement with the “radical” Ukrainian line of a total boycott of Russia and the Russians, he said that any anti-Russian stand was good and that other festivals should also try and assess it. However, he underlined the resistance should be against and denouncement should be of the “official”, “Russian government” line.

Fremaux was slick and slippery when questioned on the underrepresentation of women directors in the festival, saying that they formed 25% of those in the competition section and 27% in the overall selection. 75% of the French films are by women and women filmmakers comprised 25% of those who applied to Cannes. “I don’t think the total of five films out of 21 directed by women in competition could be considered few,” he said, while adding that there is no rule, dogma or quota on gender equality.

He was also asked to dwell on the near absence of Black filmmakers this year and the lack of films from sub–Saharan Africa. Fremaux pointed out the Uncertain Regard selection Father & Soldier as an example of a film from the region. Though it is directed by French filmmaker Mathieu Vadepied, the film is a France-Senegal co-production and has been shot in both the countries. Fremaux also stressed on Cannes’ support for the French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop who won the Grand Prix in 2019 for Atlantics. “It takes time for cinema to come into its own. It isn’t just one edition; it takes five years, it takes a decade,” said Fremaux, also pointing out that the pandemic had hit certain countries—and their film industries—harder than the others and it will take time for cinema to emerge from it.

Incidentally, Salam, co-directed by Anne Cisse, and featured in the Special Screenings section is the only film by a Black filmmaker in the Cannes official selection this year.