Cannes opens its doors to the world

On Tuesday, arguably one of the most hyped events of the entertainment world, the Cannes Film Festival opened its doors to the world for the 76th time. The festival kicked-off with the premiere of the Louis XV period-drama, "Jeanne du Barry", which stars Johnny Depp.

The red carpet on the opening night saw a sea of stars like Brie Larson, Uma Thurman, Gong Li, Elle Fanning, Naomi Campbell, Catherine Deneuve and a blue-haired Helen Mirren.

Johnny Depp swarmed by fans.

During the opening ceremony, Michael Douglas and Harrison Ford were given the honorary Palme d'Or. While everything seemed perfect in the moment, there was a feeling of unease, what with the ongoing strike by screenwriters in Hollywood, which could have an unpredictable impact on the festival. France itself is also suffering from recent labour unrest, as protests are planned to take place for the recently changed pension system in the country.

At the same time, the recent announcement by Adèle Haenel, one of the top French actors, that she was quitting the French film industry for "complacency toward sexual aggressors" has also left many uneasy over attending the festival. This was further amplified after the Cannes Film Festival chief, Thierry Fremaux rejected her criticisms while addressing members of the media on Monday.

However, the festival, lined up with highly-anticipated big-budget films including James Mangold's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of the Destiny" and Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon", is unlikely to be hindered despite the controversy.

Michael Douglas with his Palme d’Or.

Additionally, just the list of stars who are set to hit the red carpet over the next week and a half—like Natalie Portman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Sean Penn, Alicia Vikander, Scarlett Johansson and Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) --- means few will bat an eye eventually.

The endless crowd of onlookers screamed Johnny Depp's name, while signs all over the venue read "Viva Johnny", as he arrived in purple-tinted sunglasses and signed autographs. "Jeanne du Barry" is in many ways being considered Depp's comeback to Cannes, after his infamous trial with ex-wife Amber Heard last year. The last time Depp made a red-carpet outing was during the Rome Film Festival in 2021.

After the screening, audiences celebrated Depp with a standing ovation, during which the actor teared up.

Uma Thurman at the opening ceremony.

This year is also a special one for Bangladesh, as the country will be taking its first ever stall to Cannes. Besides that, Aronyo Anawer directorial "Maa", starring Pori Moni as the lead, will be showcased at the Marche Du Film section on May 20.

Many Bollywood celebrities were also seen adding glamour to the red carpet, including Sara Ali Khan, Manushi Chillar, Urvashi Rautela and Esha Gupta. This would be Sara Ali Khan's Cannes debut, and the actress would put a desi spin on her look, wearing a gorgeous lehenga instead of a gown— like her co-workers—to the red carpet.

Sara Ali Khan on the second day of Cannes.

Some other films, that will be screened at the festival, include "The Zone of Interest", directed by Jonathan Glazer; "Banel & Adama", by French-Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy; "Occupied City" by Steve McQueen; "The Old Oak", directed by Ken Loach and "Asteroid City" by Wes Anderson, just to name a few.

The festival will continue till May 27, 2023.