Thierry Fremaux, the head of the Cannes Film Festival, has addressed the controversy surrounding Johnny Depp’s presence at the festival. He emphasized that he views Depp only as an actor and his film as a work of art. Fremaux added that if the film had been banned, there would have been no discussion about Depp’s attendance at the festival. The Cannes Film Festival commenced on May 16th and will continue until May 27th.
The Cannes Film Festival kicks off with the world premiere of “Jeanne du Barry,” directed by Maïwenn and starring Johnny Depp. When asked about the decision to select this film as the festival’s opening feature, Thierry Fremaux, the festival chief, responded, “I don’t have knowledge of Johnny Depp’s image in the United States. Personally, I live by one principle: the freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and the freedom to act within the bounds of the law. If Johnny Depp were prohibited from acting in a film or if the film itself was banned, we wouldn’t be having this conversation today.”
Thierry Fremaux, the head of Cannes Film Festival, stated that he watched Maïwenn’s film Jeanne du Barry and believed that it could have been in competition. He noted that Maiwenn would have been the eighth female director if that were the case. The controversy around the film only arose after its announcement at Cannes because people knew that Johnny Depp had made a movie in France, he explained. As for why Maiwenn chose to cast Depp, Fremaux stated that it is a question best directed to the director herself.
Johnny Depp’s new film, Jeanne du Barry, marks his first public appearance after a highly publicized trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard, during which both parties accused each other of physical and verbal abuse. Depp was awarded $10 million in damages, while Heard received $2 million.
Thierry responded to French actor Adele Haenel’s open letter, in which she announced quitting acting as a protest against the French film industry’s response to MeToo allegations. Adele Haenel starred in the 2019 Cannes film, Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Regarding Haenel, Thierry said that people often use Cannes as a platform to raise certain issues, which is normal. However, if someone thought that Cannes was a festival for rapists, they wouldn’t be interested in attending screenings or complaining about not getting tickets.