CANNES DISPATCH 15 …
Words by JANE CROWTHER
Photographs by Greg Williams
In honor of Dame Donna Langley, Kering and the Festival de Cannes were pleased to welcome the members of the Festival jury as well as Julianne Moore, Justine Triet, Uma Thurman, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Salma Hayek Pinault, Michelle Yeoh, Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Jacques Audiard or Judith Godrèche on the occasion of the official Women In Motion Awards dinner.
Kering’s annual Women In Motion dinner kicked off again this year on a warm Sunday evening at Place de la Castre, a castle perched overlooking Cannes town and presided over by François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes. This year the event celebrated the achievements of NBCUniversal Studio Group and Chief Content Officer, Dame Donna Langley, the first producer to receive the accolade in the Women In Motion nine year history for her trailblazing career – with Salma Hayek Pinault, in Gucci and Boucheron jewels, calling her a ‘visionary’.
The get-together attracted the toast of the festival, including Emilia Perez stars Zoe Saldana and Edgar Ramirez, both in Saint Laurent, as well as The Shrouds lead Diane Kruger (wearing Balenciaga). They were joined by South Korean star Han So Hee, legend Catherine Deneuve (in competition with Marcello Mio) plus jury president Greta Gerwig (in Gucci) and her jury members, Eva Green, Omar Sy and Lily Gladstone. Julianne Moore (in Bottega Veneta), Uma Thurman (opening her film Oh, Canada! at the festival), Michelle Yeoh (in Bottega Veneta), Isabelle Huppert (in Balenciaga and Boucheron) and director Justine Triet also attended along with The Apprentice actors Sebastian Stan and Maria Bakalova. French actress turned filmmaker Judith Godrèche was also part of festivities having opened the film festival with her powerful #MeToo short Moi Aussi, highlighting the number of women who have been victims of sexual assault.
The bash started with a cocktail hour before the ceremony where Langley and emerging talent recipient, director Amanda Nell Eu, received their accolades. Langley told the light-bedecked room that she had first attended Cannes as an executive on Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. She said ‘In roles like mine, we have the power and the opportunity to say “yes”, and “yeses” don’t come very often, but when they do come, they are so powerful.’
After the speeches, guests were served dinner created by Michelin-starred chef Virginie Giboire; to start – marinated John Dory, roast geranium and garden peas infused in almond milk followed by turbot, zucchini flowers and beurre blanc made with Noilly Prat. Dessert was a raspberry blossom yogurt and crunchy meringues with meadowsweet followed by dancing to a band who wandered through the tables playing their instruments…
Find out more about Kering’s Women In Motion program here
Salma Hayek Pinault wears Gucci and Boucheron jewels, François-Henri Pinault wears Balenciaga, Iris Knobloch wears Balenciaga, Dame Donna Langley wears Saint Laurent, Lily Gladstone wears Gucci, Karla Sofía Gascón wears Saint Laurent, Maria Bakalova wears Balenciaga, Zoë Saldaña wears Saint Laurent, Michelle Yeoh wears Bottega Veneta
