Natalie Portman, Jude Law Tributes Going Ahead at Deauville Festival, Despite Actors Not Attending Due to SAG-AFTRA Strike (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comElsa Keslassy International Correspondent Deauville American Film Festival will forge ahead with its honorary tributes to stars such as Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Peter Dinklage and Joseph Gordon-Levitt despite the fact that they won’t be in attendance due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
The festival’s artistic director, Bruno Barde, told Variety ahead of the event’s press conference on Thursday that he empathized with actors and writers who are on strike to “protect themselves against the dangers of artificial intelligence.” “AI has always existed in cinema and it’s now posing a threat to screenwriters, set designers, dubbers and, of course, to actors whom we’re using the image of.
Cinema is an art that elevates humankind, and artificial intelligence does the exact opposite. It’s a danger,” Barde said. And while he stands in solidarity with the strike, he has opted “to maintain all the tributes which will pay homage to careers” and have been prepared for up to a year. “I want the American film community to understand that maintaining the homages doesn’t mean that I’m not interested in the strike,” he said. “On the contrary, I’m supportive of it and I would never want to deprive actors and actresses from these tributes because they’re not coming due to this strike.” To make up for the absentees, Barde has lured a raft of international filmmakers and talent, such as French director Rebecca Zlotowski, who will present the tribute to Portman, whom she directed in “Planetarium.” As part of the homage, several movies starring Portman will be screened, including “May December,” with Todd Haynes in attendance.
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