May 15th, 2014
Ecumenical Jury in Cannes Celebrates 40th Anniversary
(Louisiane Arnera, Cannes) The Ecumenical Jury of INTERFILM and SIGNIS at the Festival de Cannes celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. In accordance with then festival president Robert Fabre Lebret OCIC (today SIGNIS, Catholic) and INTERFILM (Protestant) in 1974 decided to build an Ecumenical Jury “in order to look in the same direction”.
“In the time of 40 years, the ecumenical jury has become a tradition of the festival. Thus, it confirms the power of cinema to bring people together”, today’s festival president Gilles Jacob comments. In fact, the ecumenical jury has a specific look on films. It awards films of directors whose artistic talent allows us to appreciate human behaviour and actions which correspond with the Scriptures, or make audiences senstive to spiritual, social, and ethical values.
On the occasion of the anniversary, SIGNIS and INTERFILM will honour the Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne with a Special Award. The films of the Brothers Dardenne are marked by a profound humanity which is guiding the choices of the ecumenical jury as well. The presentation of the award will take place on May 22nd.
TV station France 2, in its series “Présence protestante” and “Le Jour de Seigneur”, will join the celebration of the anniversary. A broadcast straight from the Croisette pays tribute to the ecumenical jury on Sunday, May 25th, 10.00 to 11.00 hrs. By highlighting the function and the proceedings of the jury it will try to explain the Christian commitment to the art of film.
A brochure (in French and English) published on the occasion of the anniversary has a greeting of longtime festival president Gilles Jacob, a list of the award winners since 1974, memories and considerations of several represantatives of INTERFILM and SIGNIS, as well as an interview with the Brothers Dardenne. The publication can be downloaded here: 40 ans de Jury œcuménique au Festival de Cannes.
As usual, a number of regular events around the jury will take place: meetings at the stand of the Ecumenical Jury at the film market, the Sunday services devoted to the festival an the ecumenical apéro afterwards, and an ecumenical service on Wednesday, May 21st. Anybody who is not in Cannes can pursue the events on the jury website, http://cannes.juryoecumenique.org.
(Translation: Karsten Visarius)
TV Broadcast to 40 years Ecumenical Jury at Cannes (in French)
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