Covid has made the Cannes Film Festival even more significant

The French Riviera has been bustling with A-list stars at the Cannes Film Festival these last two weeks.

It’s a sight we’ve not seen since Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite won the Palme d’Or two years ago – last year’s festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. But against the odds, the festival went ahead this year – two months later than usual – with the 2021 Palme d’Or winner being announced later on Saturday.

It’s a huge leap forward to normality for the film industry that is estimated to have lost $32bn (£23bn) globally in 2020.

After months of delayed films because of cinemas being shut and disrupted filming schedules, this year’s Cannes Film Festival feels more significant than ever: it signals hope.

It’s been packed full of glorious premieres: Paul Verhoeven’s shocking lesbian nun movie Benedetta; Joanna Hogg’s semi-autobiographical follow-up The Souvenir Part II; Todd Haynes’s documentaryThe Velvet Underground; Gaspar Noe’s Vortex about an elderly couple; Sean Penn’s Flag Day; and Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch – a tribute to the New Yorker. The festival opened with the fantastical musical Annette, starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.

I can’t wait to watch all these films on the big screen with some popcorn. It’s a real treat after lockdown. As a culture writer my world is opening up too; I’m no longer focusing on book and TV interviews as the theatre, art and film industries get back on track.

Cannes has shown that a return to normality has to be done cautiously – Covid testing every 48 hours, QR codes to get into film premieres, and masks indoors – but none of that matters right now. It’s a sigh of relief – business is open as usual.

Yours,

Charlotte Cripps

Culture writer