15/05/2013 - The president of the jury of the Cannes competition and members of his jury share their vision of the event and their role.

There was a lot of excitement on the part of the media this afternoon on the Croisette for the press conference given by the jury of the competition of the 66th Cannes Film Festival. Its president Steven Spielberg lent himself to the game of questions and answers, accompanied by the eight members of his jury: Nicole Kidman, Naomi Kawase, Lynne Ramsay, Vidya Balan, Daniel Auteuil, Ang Lee, Christian Mungiu and Christopher Walz.

You were only part of a jury once before in your life and it was a long time ago. What convinced to accept this time?
Steven Spielberg: In the past, I always had too much work at this time of the year, but, exceptionally, I had more time this year. I therefore accepted and I am very honoured and happy to be here. I have no qualms because we always judge the films that we see. We will form our own opinions, evaluate the films, and see if some are radically new in any way.

What do you think of the idea of a competition between films of different nationalities?
I have always accepted the fact that there is a enormous competition throughout the year to attract the public's attention. But some films are made for more selective audiences. And you cannot compare apples and oranges, films that try to attract a maximum number of spectators and others which offer a different view of life and want to change it. In Cannes, films come from different cultures and it's a celebration of cinema rather than a competition between movies. 

Are you going to set rules for your jury?
A group like ours, multicultural and made up of personalities from different backgrounds, shares a common language: the cinema. There is no electoral campaign to be launched. We are going to watch films, then discuss them. It’s a breath of fresh air.

Ang Lee: Cannes is a highly artistic and sophisticated festival, and the competition already provides great promotion for directors who have been selected. We will delve into questions of style, politics and social issues, but something might simply move us, and it will win the Palme. In any event, I hope so, if not we will have to be rational. 

Nicole Kidman: In Cannes, exceptional films of great value are usually chosen, and it will be a pleasure to judge them. Cannes is a platform, an opportunity to discover films. 

Christian Mungiu: It is very difficult to judge films. It is easier to review them a few years later. But by taking part in a jury, we can do a lot to promote a film. We try to transmit a message, and there are many ways of doing that. What I look for in a director is honesty.

Daniel Auteuil: When I looked into the festival archives, I realized that I had seen very many of the films rewarded in Cannes. I am lucky to be able to contribute to this tradition and discover the film that will become a reference. 

(Translated from French)