Once defined by glamour and reverence for auteurs, Cannes 2025 is confronting a long-overdue reckoning. For decades, the world’s most prestigious film festival turned a blind eye to misconduct in the name of artistic genius. This year, a different narrative has taken hold — one led by survivors, reformists, and women demanding change.
From barring actor Théo Navarro-Mussy—accused of rape—from the red carpet, to suspending an executive from the ACID sidebar for alleged sexual assault, Cannes is finally taking actions that once seemed unimaginable. The backdrop: a landmark guilty verdict against Gérard Depardieu, fresh fallout from a scathing French parliamentary inquiry that exposed systemic abuse in the entertainment industry, and growing momentum from actors like Judith Godrèche, Ariane Labed, and Alma Jodorowsky.
Cannes has introduced new rules requiring all films to uphold the “safety, integrity, and dignity” of contributors. Directors like Dominik Moll, whose film Case 137 led to the ban of the accused actor, publicly supported the decision—an unthinkable stance even a year ago.
Yet, optimism remains cautious. While seven women helm films in the main competition—a record—many critics argue these steps are merely foundational. The festival has been criticized for decades for platforming predators, including Harvey Weinstein. For survivors, like Godrèche, whose short film Moi Aussi galvanized audiences last year, change is overdue and still incomplete.
Advocacy groups call for more than symbolism. They demand structural reform: mandatory intimacy coordinators, diversity quotas, transparent casting protocols, and harsher penalties for violators. Even as France grapples with the deeply embedded “cult of the auteur,” institutions like the CNC are beginning to shift from offering incentives to threatening sanctions.
Still, one question echoes loudly: Where are the men? As Labed bluntly noted, “Our male colleagues are simply not by our side.”
Cannes 2025 may go down as the year when silence finally gave way to accountability—but the festival’s true legacy will depend on what happens after the red carpet is rolled up.
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