A Surreal Night on the French Riviera With Jeff Bezos and Duran Duran

New York Times

23-05-2025

Every year, as the Cannes Film Festival winds down, hundreds of celebrities and philanthropists gather at the palatial Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc for the amfAR gala, an event that raises millions for biomedical research and also prides itself on being a lavish, fashion-forward party.
That was certainly the case at the 31st installment Thursday, which featured performances from Ciara, Adam Lambert and Duran Duran.
At blustery cocktails in the seaside town of Antibes overlooking the vast blue water of the French Riviera, the Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo, wearing a custom Valentino suit and Boucheron jewelry that he said made him feel like a 'peacock,' admitted that it's a surreal night.
'It's so maximalistic in all of this expression,' he said. 'And it is all to draw eyes toward H.I.V. and AIDS research.'
The cause was the reason the actress Teri Hatcher, dressed in a sleek black gown, said she was excited to attend, 'especially as an American wanting to, at this time, be putting light on causes that are important, that need funding.'
It was her first time at the event, which was initially hosted by Elizabeth Taylor in 1993. The night raised more than $17 million.
In his opening remarks at the dinner, the outgoing amfAR chief executive, Kevin Robert Frost, also alluded to the Trump administration's cuts affecting H.I.V. prevention.
'As you all know, this is not a great time for global health,' he said. 'Many governments, especially mine, the U.S., but also the United Nations and others, are cutting back on investments in health, and many communities are already feeling the consequences, especially people living with H.I.V., who depend on daily medications for their survival.'
Sitting near the stage was Kimberly Guilfoyle, Mr. Trump's choice to be ambassador to Greece, in a bright red dress.
Earlier Kyle Clifford, who is set to take over for Mr. Frost, said that the organization keeps politics outside of the gala tent, which this year was dressed up with hanging lanterns and moody red lighting.
'We're a nonpartisan organization and it's a safe, fun place for people to do their philanthropy,' he said.
Indeed, the night drew more than 850 people and many famous faces, including Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez, Kevin Spacey, who was found not guilty of sexual assault charges by a British jury in 2023, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who tried to remain incognito in a black baseball cap.
On the hotel's perfect lawns, Ms. Guilfoyle was spotted posing for photos opposite Heidi Klum, the model and 'Project Runway' host, who later bemoaned the adjacent film festival's new dress code that prohibited nudity and 'voluminous' outfits.
'I think it's boring,' she said, dressed in a strapless gown, with a sheer skirt and large feathered train.
At the bar, the director Spike Lee, who had just premiered his latest movie, 'Highest 2 Lowest,' at the festival, chatted with the Oscar-winner Adrien Brody. Upon entering the party, Mr. Lee, a dedicated New York Knicks fan, said he was glad he missed the previous night's playoff game, in which his team suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Indiana Pacers.
'I was on another continent, a thousand miles away,' he said. 'They cannot blame that disaster on me.'
Mr. Brody had donated one of his artworks, a mixed media piece centered on Marilyn Monroe, to the night's auction. He was not the only actor to do so. James Franco, who has recently been less visible following sexual misconduct allegations, also supplied a painting.
Ciara kicked off the dinner with a performance of her hits including '1, 2 Step,' flanked by two backup dancers.
And while the night was hosted by Taraji P. Henson, the affair was dominated by the flashy live auction where items included Chopard diamond earrings, an Andy Warhol screenprint, and a Dodge Charger used in 'Fast X,' the most recent installment in the 'Fast & Furious' franchise, which the movie's star, Michelle Rodriguez, hyped up with a giggly introduction.
A George Condo painting, made specially for the occasion, was the big seller at 1,150,000 euros, or about $1.3 million. Mr. Lee contributed a surprise item of a walk-on role in his next movie, and added during the bidding he would take the winner to a Knicks game next season.
As is now tradition at the gala, the auction featured a fashion show curated by the French fashion editor Carine Roitfeld, with a collection that immediately sold. This year's theme was 'From Cannes With Love,' a tribute to James Bond. Ms. Hatcher, who played a Bond girl in the 1997 film 'Tomorrow Never Dies,' walked the runway.
After a brief intermission in bidding, Mr. Lambert performed a series of songs by Queen with accompaniment from the band's drummer Roger Taylor.
But it wasn't until the end of the long event, well after midnight, that the 1980s pop dandies, Duran Duran, who are about to embark on a European tour, took the stage.
While guests lit up cigarettes inside, Mr. Domingo, Mariska Hargitay and Georgina Chapman grooved along to songs like 'Notorious' and 'Ordinary World.'
But the night, and the world, felt far from ordinary.