Cannes 2025: Scarlett Johansson's Directorial Debut & Jodie Foster's French Role

Jafar Panahi's Return to Cannes

• 🎬 Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi made his first international festival appearance in 15 years at Cannes with his film "It Was Just an Accident".
• ✊ The movie, described as one of Panahi's most political, confronts prisoners with their jailer and received an 8-minute standing ovation.
• ⚖️ Panahi, who was banned from filmmaking for 20 years, spoke about the subversive nature of his social dramas and his return to Iran.

Scarlett Johansson's Directorial Debut

• 🌟 Scarlett Johansson premiered her feature directorial debut, "Eleanor the Great," in the "A Certain Regard" section.
• 👏 The film, starring June Squib, earned Johansson and her cast a 5-minute standing ovation.
• 🎭 Johansson's film explores unreliable narratives, with its protagonist borrowing the story of a Holocaust survivor.

Other Notable Films and Directors

• 🎬 Kristen Stewart also presented her directorial debut, "The Chronology of Water," based on a memoir dealing with sexuality and trauma.
• 🇫🇷 Hapsia Herzi's film "The Little Sister," an adaptation of a novel exploring religion and homosexuality, is in official competition.
• 🎭 Herzi, who started her career as an actress, has been praised for her delicate approach to directing performances.

Jodie Foster's French-Language Role

• 🎤 Jodie Foster was honored with a 10-minute standing ovation for her role in "A Private Life."
• 🚬 Foster plays a wine-sipping, chain-smoking psychiatrist in her first lead French-speaking role, delivering a performance with wit and intensity.
• 🧠 The film explores the complex relationship between a psychotherapist and a patient, touching on themes of attraction and transference.