Press Conference for the Jury of the 79th Festival de Cannes © Jean-Louis Hupé
Interview with the Feature Films Jury of the 79th Festival de Cannes
For 12 days, they will discover, debate and decide among the films in Competition for 2026. The Jury, presided over this year by Park Chan-Wook, and comprising Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Laura Wandel, Diego Céspedes, Isaach De Bankolé, Paul Laverty, Chloé Zhao and Stellan Skarsgård came together for the first time in front of the international press. While they wait to announce the winners of this 79th edition on May 23rd, they shared their first impressions and answered questions from the floor.
Park Chan-Wook on the connection between cinema and politics:
“It’s strange to see art and politics on opposing sides. A political film should never be considered an adversary of cinema. But a political film without any true artistic dimension becomes propaganda. On the other hand, a great film, even if apolitical, should never be ignored.”
Demi Moore on Artificial Intelligence in the film industry:
“Artificial intelligence is already here. Fighting it totally is probably a lost cause. We need to think about how to work with it. The human soul in art could never be replaced.”
Ruth Negga reminisces about getting emotional at the thought of being a member of the Jury:
“It’s a huge honor. It has been almost 10 years since I’ve been to Cannes. The selection seems exceptional, and I’m looking forward to seeing all these films, and learning and discussing with the other members of the Jury.”
Laura Wandel tells us how she found out about being selected as a member of the Jury:
“I was in Argentina when I got the news. At first, it didn’t really hit me. It took me almost 24 hours to understand what that meant. It’s a huge honor. I’m looking forward to seeing what filmmakers have to say about the world.”
Diego Céspedes opens up about his journey to Cannes:
“I came to Cannes with my short films, then with my film that won the Un Certain Regard prize. That changed a lot of things for me. I’m from Santiago, and people like me don’t usually do movies. It’s important that not only the rich are able to produce movies.”
Isaach De Bankolé on the deeply political dimension of cinema:
“The word ‘Politics’ comes from ‘Politis’, the affairs of the people. Movies that don’t talk about public affairs wouldn’t be considered cinema.”
Paul Laverty on the festival’s poster:
“I find it wonderful that the Festival chose a poster with Susan Sarandon this year. I support her, as well as Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo, who took a stand on Gaza and paid the price in Hollywood. I give them all my support. I support Gaza.”
Chloé Zhao on how she watches films:
“I’m a very emotional viewer. I love films that stir up something deep in me.”
Stellan Skarsgård when he found out that he would be a member of the Jury:
“Finally! It’s about time. I’m not dead yet.”
