MAY 14, 2025
Robert De Niro While Accepting Cannes Honorary Palme d’Or
Robert De Niro took a fiery stand against U.S. president Donald Trump at Cannes Film Festival’s opening ceremony on Tuesday night, calling him a “philistine president.”
After Leonardo DiCaprio presented him with the festival’s honorary Palme d’Or, De Niro took aim at Trump’s recently proposed film tariffs, saying: “Now, he has announced a 100% tariff on films produced outside the U.S. Let that sink in for a minute. You can’t put a price on creativity, but apparently you can put a tariff on it.”
De Niro continued, “Of course, this is unacceptable. All these attacks are unacceptable, and this isn’t just an American problem. It’s a global one. And like a film, we can’t just all sit back and watch. We have to act now. Without violence, but with great passion and determination. It’s time for everyone who cares about liberty to organize, to protest, and when there are elections, of course to vote. Tonight, and for the next 11 days, we show our strength and commitment by celebrating art in this glorious festival.”
DiCaprio, who first starred alongside De Niro in 1993’s “This Boy’s Life” and reunited with him in 2023 for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” was on hand to present the award to him, saying:
The legendary actor – who has won two Oscars over the course of his six-decade career – is best known for his 10 collaborations with director Martin Scorsese, including “Mean Streets” (1973), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Raging Bull” (1980), “Goodfellas” (1990), “The Irishman” (2019) and 2023’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” He’s no stranger to Cannes, having first attended with “Mean Streets” followed by Sergio Leone’s 1984 crime film “Once Upon a Time in America,” Barry Levinson’s satirical comedy “What Just Happened” in 2008 and serving as president of the competition jury in 2011. De Niro was most recently on the Croisette for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which received a nine-minute standing ovation.
“I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes…” De Niro said in a statement when his award was announced. “Especially now when there’s so much in the world pulling us apart, Cannes brings us together – storytellers, filmmakers, fans and friends. It’s like coming home.”
De Niro most recently starred in Levinson’s crime drama “The Alto Nights,” and held his first major television role in Netflix’s political thriller “Zero Day.” Next up, he’s slated to lead Brad Furman’s action film “Tin Soldier” alongside Jamie Foxx and Scott Eastwood, as well as James Ashcroft’s crime movie “The Whisper Man” with Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott and Michael Keaton.
The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival runs from May 13 to 24.
Courtesy/Source: Variety
