As the 78th Cannes Film Festival opened with glamor and political undertones, Robert De Niro seized the spotlight to criticise United States President Donald Trump's proposed 100% tariff on foreign films.
Accepting a lifetime achievement award, the actor condemned what he sees as attacks on creativity and called for public protest. Despite organisers aiming to keep politics at bay, this year's festival has become a reflection of global unrest. As he stated:
"In my country, we are fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted. That affects all of us here, because art is the crucible that brings people together, like tonight. Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity. That's why art is a threat."
"That's why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists. America's philistine president ha[s] had himself appointed head of one of our premier cultural institutions [the Kennedy Center]. He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education."
"You can't put a price on creativity, but apparently you can put a tariff on it. Of course, this is unacceptable. All of these attacks are unacceptable. And this isn't just an American problem, it's a global one. Like a film, we can't just all sit back and watch. We have to act, and we have to act now."
We at Gamereactor are covering Cannes 78, so stay with us via the following link.
For De Niro's full speech, you can find it here.