Jury President Park Chan-wook declared cinema a space where art and politics coexist seamlessly during yesterday’s opening press conference at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 2026.
Declaring “Art and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other,” Park insisted no film should be disqualified for bearing a political message, nor dismissed for lacking one.
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“One cannot disqualify a film on the pretext that it has a political message. Just as one cannot reject a film because it would not be political enough,” he said.
Park also urged jurors to “argue sufficiently” without fighting, quoting collaborator Paul Laverty on Ken Loach debates. “I asked Paul Laverty over there if he fought a lot with Ken Loach when they were working together, and he said, ‘We argued a lot but we didn’t fight,'” Park said.
Read more: Park Chan-wook’s ‘No Other Choice’ Review: A Bloody Satire for the AI Age
The ceremony kicked off with bold defiance when Jane Fonda and Gong Li hopped onstage, ignoring instructions to stay seated.
Fonda delivered a fiery speech: “I believe that cinema has always been an act of resistance because we tell the stories and stories are what make a civilization.”
She continued, “Stories that bring empathy to the marginalized, stories that allow us to feel across difference, stories that let us see that there is an alternative future that is possible. Standing beside Li tonight, I’m reminded why this festival matters. Here in Cannes, story comes first — the courage to tell it comes first. So let’s celebrate audacity, freedom, and the fierce act of creation.”
“Our jurors will do the same. To everyone here today, I sincerely hope that you don’t fight with the people around you, but you argue sufficiently,” he added.
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Chloé Zhao joined Park alongside panelists including Demi Moore and Stellan Skarsgård, though coverage spotlighted Park’s leadership as the first Korean jury head.
