Cannes Film Festival Chairman Iris Knobloch was re-elected for his second mission earlier this year, kicking off with a high-profile 78th edition. She arrived at the helm of the festival two years ago, coincided with the Cannes Renaissance and was closely linked to Hollywood. Curated by longtime artistic director and general representative Thierry Fremaux, last year's selection premiered a record-breaking Oscar nomination, including Sean Baker's "Anora" (like "Anora", the film made history by winning four major statues, including Best Picture and Best Director and Best Director; in addition to "Materials" by Coralie Fargeat, Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Perez" and Gints Zilbalodis's "Flow". A year ago, the Cannes Film Festival also lagged behind two best-picture nominees, Justine Triet's "Autumn Anatomy" and Jonathan Glazer's "Area of ​​Interest". In an interview type On the eve of the festival’s start, the hands-on Knobloch formerly led the Warner Bros. in Europe and the stance on 100% tariffs on foreign-made films put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump; and the current tensions between the U.S. and European film industry; the role of Cannes to unite people and culture through films during geopolitical turmoil; and the area where the red carpet is kept protestless. The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will begin to debut with Amelie Bonnin’s debut “Out of Day” tonight and will pay tribute to Robert de Niro in the hands of Leonardo DiCaprio.

This year, the four juries were chaired by women, and Juliette Binoche was also the second female president since Greta Gerwig last year. Are you responsible for this kind of female focus?

I hope my presence will help the festival continue to grow. Now all of our juries are gender-balanced, and this year, four juries are presided over by a woman. We maintain equality wherever we are. It must fully represent the women's point of view, and there must be room for sharing their vision for the world. Without this, it is like telling the story of the world with one eye closed. Gender equality remains a priority we share with the general representative of the festival, Thierry Frémaux, and has a deep personal significance to me.

There are also seven female directors in the competition, which are their partner in 2023!

Yes, these seven are one-third of the competition for female filmmakers. This is closely aligned with the overall submission: women directed 28% of the films, and they accounted for 25.1% of the formal selection. We can only choose from what we submitted to us, but it is particularly encouraging that in the short films and the first films, the proportion of films directed by women is higher. This is a very positive trend, but there is a need to continue to be vigilant to make sure it does not stagnate. I also feel the confidence and boldness of female filmmakers and, equally importantly, prefer to entrust them to their ambitious projects. More and more women are submitting movies, and what fascinates me is a series of lucky events: Justine Triet's Palme d'Or's victory, which has attracted global attention to female directors, followed by Coralie Fargeat's breakthrough success after last year's edition.

Have you seen any common themes in a female-directed film Have you also watched more movies with the heroine?

If you watch the 2024 Choice, a large number of films explore the situation of women around the world. "Materials" examines the portrayal of women's bodies in the entertainment industry. "Anora" tells the story of a woman's dream of liberation. "Emilia Pérez" is driven by bold, complex female characters. Rasoulof's film strongly condemns the violent repression faced by Iranian women. This clearly shows how the festival reflects the world we live in. What is particularly interesting is that both male and female filmmakers explore these themes, which proves the battle for women’s voices and stories.

The geopolitical background is very tense now. Will this be a political version?

The festival is always involved in the films of its choice, and each film offers unique footage in today’s world. The strength of the Cannes Film Festival is that it chooses movies from all over the world. This year, films from over 40 countries are represented, allowing us to see the world through a variety of perspectives, stories and cultures. Our role at the festival is to provide these filmmakers with the opportunity to observe and hear, especially free expression. Their voices should not be exploited, but are respected for their authenticity. To me, this is the essence and beauty of the film: it articulates the power of struggling for freedom, exposing oppression and celebrating cultural diversity. It is this creative independence that we must continue to protect, which remains one of the most important tasks of the festival.

Where is Israeli movies? Nadav Lapid's "Yes" premiered in the two-week period of directors. Are there any Israeli movies in the official selection?

Yes, as part of the official choice, the Israeli film "Mom" or Sinai will be introduced at the festival this year. Similarly, this year, it represents more than 40 countries through selected films.

You gave a great speech at the press conference to announce the lineup, where you talked about the importance of today’s movies. What topic do you care a lot about?

Because today, the world seems to be losing the ability to respect dissent and participate in meaningful discussions, which is the ability that cinemas can help recover. The role of the cinema is to create common dreams in a world that is increasingly tempting in unfortunate isolationism. Cinemas speak a common language and address a wide range of topics. It has the ability to cross boundaries and convey meaningful messages. This is why films and festivals play a vital role in fostering dialogue. I hope this year's festival will provide films that make us think, think and discover all kinds of perspectives in the world.

Speaking of isolationism, how do you view U.S. President Trump’s manifesto on potential taxable films made outside the United States?

At this stage, it is too early to measure the potential impact of these announcements. However, I sincerely hope that the global film industry will not be paralyzed by caution or uncertainty. The industry is still recovering from the profound damage caused by pandemics, labor strikes and the recent Los Angeles wildfires. I hope a balanced, thoughtful approach – a way of respecting and retaining the diverse ecosystems that make up the cinematic world – can help us build healthier, more resilient industries. Movies will flourish when inspired. Now, the world needs films to maintain a true global art form. This is what we deeply believe in Cannes. In my opinion, any system should encourage cooperation, not at the expense of others.

Since you will soon start your second mission under the helm of the festival, are you planning to change your status?

Currently, we are finally making changes to the charter to ensure a gender balanced concatenation that represents each professional organization of our board of directors. Apart from that, we have no other changes for the time being.

So there is no change in the so-called "Netflix rules" that apply to the competition for every movie, requiring them to have a dramatic release in France?

As you know, streaming platforms are welcomed at the Cannes Film Festival. This year, Apple's new film with Spike Lee and documentaries about Bono. The rules of the festival are still clear: to be eligible for the competition, the film requires a drama released in France. I firmly believe that we have now reached the stage where cinemas and streaming platforms can coexist harmoniously. Drama distribution makes the film a real cultural event, which triggers dialogue, debate and shared experiences. This is something that only a cinema can offer. At the same time, the platform plays a crucial role in accessibility. After the dramatic performance of the film, they helped it attract a wide audience around the world. I don't think the cinema will replace the platform, otherwise the platform will replace the cinema. What we witnessed was a transformational industry. Studios are investing in dramatic versions again, and the platform is constantly evolving - testing new strategies to adapt and expanding their creative horizons.

You have previously led Warner Bros. in Europe. How important is it to make Cannes an ally of the ally?

Having a strong belief and a clear identity is crucial – both are reflected in the Cannes Film Festival. We celebrate cinemas from all over the world, with particular focus on films released for drama.

Are you confused by seeing the American Guild attack the French system, which requires streamers to invest some of their revenue in local content and have laid out strict window rules for Netflix and Amazon’s recent appeal to the National Council?

This is a system that proves its flexibility. Just look at how cinemas perform in France, it's really remarkable. Of course, every system must evolve, but this evolution should be done through dialogue with all stakeholders and in a way that is properly balanced. The world is changing, and we must - unite.

After two back-to-back versions, do you feel like Cannes is more bold than ever?

Indeed, the past two years have been amazing. Most importantly, the Cannes Film Festival is an unusual launch pad that works for films, and without the Cannes Film Festival it may never surpass its borders. For example, “Anora” may never be selected to find such a wide audience, and so does “Material” and many others. Nowadays, it’s hard to get that visibility into independent films, and the Cannes Film Festival makes it possible. Then, "Anora" won awards all the time from the Golden Globes to the Oscars, which was a real pleasure. No rules awards season starts in September. No matter when it is released, a great movie is still great. Cannes provides an extraordinary platform for precise films.

Are you going to ban protests this year? Last year, we saw some people throwing them out of the red carpet.

Cannes forever - and will remain forever - a place of free expression. It is built on the suppression of direct opposition to fascism and rhetoric. The spirit of artistic freedom is part of its DNA.
In other words, festivals themselves are not political positions. It is the artist and the film that carry messages in their own voices. On the red carpet, our top priority is to keep the movies and the people who make the movies attentively. That is the core mission of the festival - we have a responsibility to protect it.