Cannes Film Festival Unveils Stunning Official Poster For 77th Edition

THE 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival has finally unveiled its official poster, continuing its ritual of revering cinematic heritage. This year’s artwork pays homage to the late Akira Kurosawa’s Japanese classic, Rhapsody in August. The film had debuted out of competition at Cannes in 1991.

The poignant film revolves around a grandmother who lost her husband to the Nagasaki bombing in 1945. The film further shows how three generations of her family deal with the tragedy. It features Sachiko Murase as the grandmother, with Richard Gere also among the cast.

It was also the penultimate film from the popular Japanese filmmaker who had directed Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Ikiru and Ran.

The festival said, “Mirroring the movie theatre, this poster celebrates the Seventh Art, with naivety and wonder. Because it gives everyone a voice, it enables emancipation. Because it remembers wounds, it combats oblivion. Because it bears witness to perils, it calls for union. Because it soothes trauma, it helps repair the living.”

Earlier this week, Cannes declared it would present an honorary Palme d’Or this year to Japanese anime house Studio Ghibli (The Boy and the Heron, Spirited Away). This was the first time the French festival had bestowed the highest honour to a company rather than an individual artist.

Over the years, Cannes’ posters haven’t just been classy, but also appealing and cheeky and controversial.

The 2017 poster had led to online outrage amid allegations that the image of a young Claudia Cardinale was edited to make her look thinner.

This year’s Cannes Festival jury is led by Greta Gerwig, director of Barbie.

All set to kick off on May 14 until May 24, the 77th Cannes Festival will begin with Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act, which features incredible performances from Léa Seydoux and Vincent Lindon.