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Home , Isabelle Adjani, Isabelle Huppert, Liv Ullmann, Olivia de Havilland

20 Friday Lifestyle | Movies Friday, January 5, 2018 to head Cannes festival jury

ate Blanchett, the double Oscar-winning actress leading a Hollywood campaign to tackle sexual harassment in the Cworkplace, will head the jury at this year’s , organizers said yesterday. Australian Blanchett, 48, who helped launch the “Time’s Up” initiative this week following a string of sexual assault accusations against prominent men in the film industry, will become the 12th woman to lead the prestigious panel at Cannes, which kicks off on May 8. “We’re very pleased to welcome a rare and unique artist with talent and conviction,” Cannes president Pierre Lescure and del- egate general Thierry Fremaux said in a joint statement. “Our conversations this autumn convince us she will be a committed president, and a passionate and generous spectator.” The choice of Blanchett, who was named best actress at the 2014 for her role in ’s “Blue Jasmine”, will be seen as politically charged after a year in which the sexual harassment scandal surrounding Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein sparked a deluge of allegations against powerful men in entertainment, politics and the media.

Any male who thinks it’s

his prerogative to sexually This combination of pictures created yesterday shows (from top left) US actress and president of the jury of 71th Cannes Festival Cate Blanchett on April 11, 2017, New Zealander director and president of the 67th Cannes Festival on May 13, 2014, French intimidate or abuse women they actress and president of the jury of 61th Cannes Festival on May 13, 2009, president of the 54th Cannes Film Festival jury, Norwegian actress and director on May 9, 2001, , French actress and president of the 50th Cannes fes- need to be held to account’ tival 1997, on May 7, 1997, president of the 48th Festival de Cannes, , president of jury of the 32th Cannes Festival and French writer FranÁoise Sagan on May 10, 1979 in Cannes, French actress and president of the jury of the 28th Cannes International Film Festival Jeanne Moreau, on May 10, 1975, Swedish actress and president of the jury of the 26th Cannes Film Festival Ingrid She was one of the first women to speak out against Weinstein, Bergman in 1959, actress and president of the 24th Cannes Festival Michele Morgan, in May 1971, president of the jury of the 19th who faces claims of a string of sexual assaults and rapes from Cannes Film Festival and Italian film actress on November 2, 1965 at the Savoy Hotel in London, US actress and president more than one hundred accusers. Weinstein has denied some of of the jury of the 18th Cannes Film Festival de Havilland, during the Cannes Film Festival, on April 16, 1953. — AFP the accusations. “Any male who’s in a position of authority or power, you know, whether he be a film producer or the president of the United States who thinks it’s his prerogative to sexually in- 2011: , American actor in “Raging Bull” (1980), timidate or abuse women that they come into contact with, “Casino” (1995) and “Meet the Fockers” (2004) whether in the workplace or otherwise, they need to be held to 2010: , American director of “Edward Scissorhands” account,” Blanchett said during the September premier of her lat- (1990) and “Alice in Wonderland” (2010) est picture, “Thor: Ragnarok”. 2009: Isabelle Huppert, French actress in “ Teacher” She was one of over 300 top women in Hollywood, joining the (2001) and “La Ceremonie” (1995) likes of and , to unveil the “Time’s 2008: US actor and director , who appeared in “Dead Up” initiative on Monday to tackle the pervasive culture of sexual Man Walking” (1995), “Mystic River” (2003) and “Milk” harassment at work. It urges companies, government agencies (2008)—AFP and even the US federal court system to re-examine harassment policies. Blanchett won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2005 for her portrayal of Katherine Hepburn in ’s “The Aviator” and won Venice’s best actress award in 2007 for her androgynous depiction of in the biopic “I’m Not There”. She succeeds Spanish director Pedro Almodovar as jury head at Cannes, which last year awarded its prestigious Palme d’Or for the Swedish tragicomedy “The Square”.

The 10 previous heads of the prestigious panel: 2017: Pedro Almodovar, Spain’s most celebrated living movie di- rector, who won Oscars for “All About My Mother” (1999) and “Talk To Her” (2002) 2016: George Miller, the Australian creator of the “Mad Max” films, also known for the animated hit “Happy Feet” (2006) 2015: Joel and Ethan Coen, the sibling writing/directing duo be- hind the quirky US cult hits “The Big Lebowski” (1998) and “Fargo” (1996), and the Oscar-winning “No Country for Old Men” (2008) 2014: Jane Campion, New Zealand director of “The Piano” (1993) 2013: , US director of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” This file photo shows Australian actress Cate Blanchett posing This file photo shows Australian actress Cate Blanchett smiling (1981), “Jurassic Park” (1993) and “Schindler’s List” (1993) during a photocall for the film “Carol” at the 68th Cannes Film as she arrives for the screening of the film “Carol” at the 68th 2012: , Italian actor and director of Cannes winner Festival in Cannes, southeastern France. Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southeastern France. — AFP “The Son’s Room” (2001)