CANNES, France 鈥 The tough new red carpet dress code at the Cannes Film Festival has already claimed its first celebrity casualty, ahead of Tuesday night鈥檚 gala opening.
Halle Berry, the Oscar-winning actress who is one of two American members of the Palme d鈥橭r jury, said Tuesday that she reluctantly had to alter her wardrobe plans after learning of the new Cannes ban on 鈥渆xcessively voluminous鈥 dresses with a 鈥渓arge train鈥 鈥 although she鈥檚 in favour of the fest鈥檚 other new no-no: 鈥渇ull nudity.鈥
鈥淚 had an amazing dress by Gupta I could wear tonight, but I cannot wear it because the train is too big,鈥 Berry said at the press conference introducing the nine-member international Palme jury.
鈥淥f course I鈥檓 going to follow the rules, so I had to make a pivot. But the nudity (ban) I do think is probably also a good rule.鈥
The festival announced late Monday it鈥檚 beefing up its already strict rules regarding attire on the scarlet staircase leading into the Palais des Festivals, beginning with Tuesday night鈥檚 world premiere of Am茅lie Bonnin鈥檚 French comedy 鈥淧artir un jour (Leave One Day),鈥 the fest鈥檚 opening gala screening.
The decorum-minded festival is outlawing 鈥渇ull nudity鈥 on the carpet 鈥渋n accordance with the institutional framework of the event and French law,鈥 and also nixing clothing that could 鈥渙bstruct the movement of other guests or complicate seating arrangements in the screening rooms.鈥
The nine-member jury for the Palme d鈥橭r and other prizes at the Cannes Film Festival meets the press. From left: moderator Didier Allouch, Payal Kapadia, Jeremy Strong, Alba Rohrwacher, Dieudo Hamadi, Juliette Binoche, Hong Sangsoo, Halle Berry, Carlos Reygadas and Le茂la Slimani.聽
Peter HowellThe announcement caught everybody here by surprise, since it seemed Cannes had already nailed down any possible fashion faux pas with its previous bans on flip-flops (and other flats) and red carpet selfies.
French actress Juliette Binoche, another Oscar winner and the president of this year鈥檚 Palme jury, expressed support for the relaxation of a previous rule insisting women wear heels on the red carpet.
The revised rules mandate the wearing of 鈥渆legant shoes and sandals with or without a heel.” (Sneakers are still banned.)
鈥淥n the heels side, I think it is a very good idea,鈥 Binoche said.
Not all of the questions Binoche was asked were so easy to answer.
She was quizzed repeatedly about fellow French actor G茅rard Depardieu. The French cinema icon was convicted Tuesday of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in Paris in 2021 and given an 18-month suspended sentence. He must also pay a 20,000 euro fine and sign a sexual offenders register. Depardieu was Binoche鈥檚 co-star in 鈥淟et the Sunshine In,鈥 a 2017 film by Claire Denis.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not a monster, he鈥檚 a man who lost his aura,鈥 Binoche said in French. 鈥淗e鈥檚 no longer sacred.鈥
She expressed support for the #MeToo movement and the festival鈥檚 embrace of it.
鈥淭here have been great changes occurring in the world. Sometimes (the festival) follows the trend, sometimes it spearheads it. I think the festival is in step with what鈥檚 happening today. #MeToo took some time to gain strength. We reacted very strongly recently.鈥
There were other difficult questions asked and mostly dodged at the press conference, but fans of the James Bond franchise might raise an eyebrow at a comment made by Berry about 007鈥檚 gender.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if 007 should be a woman,鈥 said Berry, who played the secret agent Jinx in the 2002 Bond film 鈥淒ie Another Day.鈥
鈥淚n 2025 it鈥檚 nice to say, 鈥楽he should be a woman鈥 (but) I don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 the right thing to do.鈥
She also shot down any chance of a Jinx spinoff movie, which has long been rumoured.
鈥淚 doubt there鈥檒l be a Jinx spinoff,鈥 she said. 鈥淭here was a time that could鈥檝e happened. I鈥檇 have loved for that to happen, but that time has passed.鈥
Besides Berry and Binoche, the Palme jury includes fellow actors Jeremy Strong and Alba Rohrwacher, filmmakers Dieudo Hamadi, Hong Sangsoo, Payal Kapadia and Carlos Reygadas, and writer Le茂la Slimani.
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