The news announced Programming of the Cannes Film Festival is filled with highly anticipated movies from some of the biggest directors on the planet – but it’s not without its share of controversy. The festival has grabbed headlines for its decision to schedule “Jeanne du Barry,” Maïwenn’s new film which stars Johnny Depp as French monarch Louis XV, as its opening night selection. Depp’s first major role since his high-profile defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard has always been controversial, but the film became more of a lightning rod after a French journalist sued the director for assault.

walking sticks director Thierry Fremaux defended his decision to schedule the film throughout the week, explaining that he considered the selection fair game because neither Depp nor Maïwenn have been legally convicted of a crime.

“I don’t see Maïwenn’s film at all as a controversial choice”, Fremaux said in an interview. “Because if Johnny Depp had been banned from working it would have been different, but it’s not.”

But while Fremaux may be more tolerant of controversial artists than some American audiences would like, he still has his limits. In a new interview with a French newspaper Le FigaroFremaux was asked why new films by Roman Polansky And Woody Allen were not selected for the festival. Both filmmakers have continued to find success working in Europe despite opportunities in America drying up due to personal scandals. (Polanski can’t enter the US due to his 1977 arrest for raping a 13-year-old girl, while Allen has largely become a Hollywood pariah due to a renewed interest in allegations that he assaulted his stepdaughter Dylan Farrow in 1992).

Fremaux explained that although Polanski’s next film “The Palace” was not screened for programmers, he had the chance to watch Allen’s new black comedy in France “stroke of luck.” But he said the controversy surrounding Allen was expected to overshadow the festival if the film was selected, so he never seriously considered adding it to the lineup.

“The Polanski, we haven’t seen it. Woody Allen is a bit special, I saw him without seeing him,” Fremaux said in the interview translated by IndieWire, suggesting that he may have seen the film outside of the festival’s typical pre-screening model for filmmakers. submissions. “The film was not a candidate. We also know that if his film is screened in Cannes, the controversy would take over against his film, against the other films.

Allen shot “Coup de Chance” in Paris with actors such as Melvil Poupaud and Valérie Lemercier, as well as cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. Allen’s last film to play at Cannes was the 2016 opening night selection “Café Society.”

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