Solidarity with Palestine roars back on Cannes Film Festival red carpet
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza Gaza has been front and centre at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, a year after the event largely ignored the ongoing tragedy. Actors, filmmakers and media figures have shown solidarity with Palestine and called for an end to the violence in Gaza, both on stage and on the red carpet. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, wore a T-shirt that lists the names of nearly 5,000 children killed in Gaza to the photo call for The Six Billion Dollar Man, a documentary about his life that has its premiere at the festival. Actor Jade Oukid, star of Sirat, wore a solidarity badge depicting a watermelon slice to the press conference for the film on Wednesday. French rapper and actor Sofiane Zermani wore a keffiyeh to the premiere of Sentimental Value that same day. Unlike last year, when actors and filmmakers made only silent displays of solidarity towards Palestine after the festival put out statements to actively limit political speech, this year has seen leading festival figures become decidedly more vocal. At the opening ceremony last week, French actress and jury president Juliette Binoche paid tribute to Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, the star of Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, a documentary by Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi. However, Binoche refrained from mentioning Israel by name. Binoche said: 'The night before her death, she learnt that the film in which she appeared was selected here at Cannes. Fatima should have been among us tonight. Art remains. It's the powerful testimony of our lives, our dreams, and we the viewers, we embrace it. May Cannes, where everything can change, contribute to that.' On the eve of the festival, more than 380 actors, directors and filmmakers accused Israel of committing 'genocide' in Gaza in an open letter. The signatories included Hollywood stars Ralph Fiennes, Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon, acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and former Cannes winner Ruben Ostlund. Binoche added her signature two days later, along with actors Pedro Pascal, Joaquin Phoenix, Riz Ahmed and director Guillermo del Toro. All and all, it's a welcome shift for the festival, which has long prided itself on supporting humanitarian causes. Cannes, after all, was founded during the Second World War in direct protest against Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who had taken control of the Venice Film Festival. Also unlike last year, when no Palestinian films were selected in competition, this year's Un Certain Regard section includes Palestinian brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser's Once Upon a Time in Gaza. The film, which has its premiere on Monday, has garnered rave reviews. While Arab was thrilled with the film's reception, he told The National: 'This is the time of Gaza. They need to show something about us. And we made a very human film – not a film about heroes – because the world needs to see our humanity. 'Of course, it's important for us as creatives to be in a festival such as Cannes. It's a dream of any director from all over the world. But as a Palestinian, it means something different.' With all eyes on the annual event, which is still the most prominent platform for international cinema, every bit of representation matters – and will surely resonate across the world.
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Arabian Business
an hour ago
- Arabian Business
EXCLUSIVE: Inside Wynn Resorts' Las Vegas-style UAE expansion
The much-anticipated Wynn Al Marjan resort is well on its way to becoming the UAE's first integrated gaming resort, extending the experience to the Middle East and beyond. With construction currently 60 per cent complete, the resort is scheduled to open its doors to the public in early 2027. Arabian Business was among the first publications granted access to insights into Wynn's operations in Las Vegas, to understand how this vast enterprise will be translated 8,000 miles away in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. Walking into the Wynn Las Vegas, the opulence and sheer scale is unmistakable – in fact, it is record-breaking, with the hotel being one of the biggest globally. The 50,000 sq. ft. property – encompassing both the Wynn and Encore resort, although different, seamlessly operates as one with a total of 4,500 rooms. The floral (Wynn) or butterfly (Encore) detailed floors hear the steps of thousands of people during the course of the day, from hotel guests to casino players to restaurant visitors and the general public – the grounds are always busy. With a resort of this scale housing thousands of rooms, several restaurants, bars, clubs, a golf course, casinos, swimming pools, luxury stores and more – operations needs to run with the precision of a well-oiled machine – undoubtedly, this takes a big and well-trained team across several departments. A similar operation is expected to translate to Ras Al Khaimah to run the first-of-its-kind concept in the Middle East, also mirroring a scale that is uncommon in the region. Wynn Al Marjan will house 1,500 rooms and the property will span over 60 hectares. From scents, lights and carpets down to the most minuscule elements – almost every corner of the hotel has been designed by Todd-Avery Lenahan, President & Chief Creative Officer of Wynn Design & Development – with every element picked to serve a purpose. The same attention to detail, intricacy (if not more) and process will be applied to Wynn Al Marjan, which Lenahan describes as 'something entirely distinctive for this region.' Wynn's staffing for success Part of the integrated leadership team will also be Max Topainer, former COO of Wynn Las Vegas, who is relocating to Ras Al Khaimah to take on the role of President for Wynn Al Marjan Island – a move symbolic of the global weight being thrown behind the project. And he's not coming alone. A wave of professionals from Wynn properties around the world are already preparing for the transition, with as many as 200 team members expected to move to Ras Al Khaimah within six months of the opening. 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Certain suites will be designed in a way where a husband and wife can enjoy their stay without the woman ever being seen, even during room service delivery – a detail crafted to offer ultimate discretion. As seen in the first looks revealed by Wynn last month, the resort's King rooms are designed with distinctive entry vestibules which separate the sleeping quarters from the corridor – a contrast as compared to contemporary resort layouts. The interiors are heavily inspired by regional elements including the artistic and cultural heritage featuring arched forms, layered textures and reflective surfaces. Wynn Al Marjan will also debut a completely separate spa experience for men and women, with no interaction between the spaces, while still offering the same holistic wellness philosophy. The design ethos continues outdoors, with 12 pools including adult-only, family, and children's zones — but no gaming areas by the water, unlike in Las Vegas. 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Harpers Bazaar Arabia
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Jonathan Anderson Is Announced Creative Director Of Dior
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