Rima Abdul Malak, Minister of Culture, said she was “stunned” by the speech given by Justine Triet, the French director, when receiving her Palme d’or for the film Anatomy of a fall. Back to this sequence.
Justine Triet won the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival with the film “Anatomy of a Fall”. In her feature film, the French director paints a remarkable portrait of a woman accused of having killed her husband in an atmosphere that is both toxic and sensitive.
“Uninhibited Dominant Power Pattern”
The director is only the third woman to receive the prestigious Palme d’Or, joining the select group of New Zealander Jane Campion, who won it in 1993 with “La Leçon de piano”, and Frenchwoman Julia Ducournau. , winner in 2021 with “Titanium” in 76 editions.
After the usual thanks, Justine Triet then engaged in a more political speech, paying tribute to the “historic, extremely powerful, unanimous protest against the pension reform”, which according to her “was denied, shockingly repressed and this pattern of increasingly uninhibited dominating power breaks out in several areas”.
“Obviously, socially, that’s where it’s most shocking, but we can also see it in many other spheres of society and cinema is no exception. The commodification of culture that the neoliberal government defends is breaking the French cultural exception, this same cultural exception without which I will not be there in front of you”, she added to applause.
“Speech so unfair”
Happy to see the Palme d’or awarded to Justine Triet, the 10th for France! But flabbergasted by his speech so unjust. This film could not have seen the light of day without our French film funding model, which allows for a diversity that is unique in the world. Let’s not forget that.
—Rima Abdul Malak (@RimaAbdulMalak) May 27, 2023
A speech which, on the other hand, does not pass for the Minister of Culture, who reacted on Twitter, expressing her dismay at the words of the director. “Stunned by his speech so unfair”, she writes, recalling that the French model of cinema allows a “unique diversity in the world”.