Tribute to Henry Fonda: “12 Angry Men” by Sydney Lumet

Jane Fonda is in Cannes to honor her father, Henry, at the homage screening of Sydney Lumet’s 1957 film, 12 Angry Men. She was given a standing ovation as she made her way
to the stage on the arm of Gilles Jacob. She addressed the crowd in French, extending her appreciation to the Festival for this evening and especially for having chosen this particular film in
which Henry Fonda plays the dissenting member of a 12-person jury, the member whose vote ultimately turns the trial around. She talked about the values of justice that were also emblematic of her
father. “I have the impression that my father is with us tonight. On behalf of the entire Fonda family, thank you very much. He adored films with a social undertone and those films
taught me a lot about democracy, justice… And I hope that the country he came from will soon come to its senses and be as proud as I am of the heritage my father left us.”

Henry Fonda was associated with John Ford in such notable films as The Grapes of Wrath in 1940 and My Darling Clementine in 1946. After several years devoted
to the stage, 12 Angry Men (Golden Bear at Berlin Festival in 1957) marked his return to the silver screen. In 1962 and 1965, he came to the Festival alongside Otto Preminger
for Advise & Consent, and then Harm’s Way. In 1969, Sergio Leone cast Henry Fonda in the role of the bad guy in Once Upon a Time in the
West. In 1978, he came to Cannes with Billy Wilder for Fedora. A mythical actor of the golden age of Hollywood motion pictures, Henry Fonda received the Oscar for Best
Actor in 1982 for his performance in Mark Rydell’s On Golden Pond.

Photo copyright AFP