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Leonardo DiCaprio presents the lifetime achievement award to the legendary actor, who denounces the US president’s policies from the stage: ‘Art is a threat to autocrats and fascists’

The 78th Cannes Film Festival opened with an emotional and politically charged moment. Leonardo DiCaprio presented the honorary Palme d’Or for Lifetime Achievement to Robert De Niro, thus celebrating one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema.

‘De Niro inspired us actors to consider our craft not as a mere performance but as a profound transformation,’ DiCaprio said on stage. The actor fondly recalled their first meeting on the set of Wanna Start Again in 1993, and their recent collaboration in Killers of the Flower Moon in 2023. ‘I’m one of those lucky ones who had the chance to work with him when I was young,’ DiCaprio recounted, revealing an anecdote from his audition: ‘When I was 15, the only idea I had was to stand up and scream at him with all my might.’

In his speech, De Niro took advantage of the international audience to launch a harsh attack against US President Donald Trump, openly criticising the tariffs imposed on foreign film productions. ‘In the United States we fight with all our might to defend democracy that we take for granted,’ he said. “We have a philistine president who has imposed a price on creativity. These attacks are unacceptable and affect the whole world. We must act with determination. I call on each of you who love freedom to protest and vote when the time comes.”

Strong words that De Niro reinforced with a broader reflection on the role of art and culture. “Art seeks freedom. That is why we are a threat to the autocrats and fascists of this world,’ he said, receiving a long applause from the audience.

For eleven days, Cannes will be a showcase for international cinema, but also a space for reflection on the value of artistic freedom and cultural resistance against all forms of censorship and repression.

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