Robert De Niro blasts Trump in explosive Cannes speech
What's the story
Hollywood legend Robert De Niro took a fiery dig at American President Donald Trump during the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday. The 81-year-old actor, accepting his lifetime achievement award, urged everyone to protest against Trump's proposed film tariff. Accepting the award from his long-time collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio, De Niro said, "Trump has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities, and education. And now he has announced the 100% tariff on films produced outside the US."
Protest appeal
'You can't put a price on creativity, but...'
The Raging Bull actor stressed creativity, saying, "You can't put a price on creativity, but apparently, you can put a tariff on it." He called "everyone who cares about liberty" to protest against Trump. While the festival stresses not being outright political, many global issues have been highlighted this time, with the inclusion of movies from Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran.
Twitter Post
'We have to act, and we have to act now'
Robert De Niro shared a strong message against Donald Trump’s tariff policies on art and cinema. #cannes2025 pic.twitter.com/M8DXBlvH9x
— Brut America (@brutamerica) May 13, 2025
Tribute
Cannes jury head paid tribute to Palestinian photojournalist
Another example of this was when Juliette Binoche, this year's jury head at Cannes, paid tribute to Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona, killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. Hassona is the subject of a documentary to be screened at Cannes. The festival, which will run until May 24, was officially opened by US director Quentin Tarantino with the audience settled in for the opening film, French comedy Leave One Day.
Dress code
Cannes red carpet saw last-minute dress code changes
The Cannes red carpet was abuzz with celebs including US actor Eva Longoria, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, and US director Sean Baker. German model Heidi Klum made a statement in a pink flower petal-esque gown, while Halle Berry, also on this year's jury, had to change her outfit choice due to updated dress code restrictions banning nudity and excessive trains.