Cannes [France], May 25 : Actor Jeremy Strong, reflecting on his role as a Cannes Film Festival competition jury member, likened the experience to choosing a new pope, referencing the Oscar-nominated film Conclave—but with a celebratory twist.
“This has been a really wonderful experience, a really connected experience with these people — it’s like Conclave with champagne,” Strong said during a press conference after the jury awarded the prestigious Palme d’Or to Iranian director Jafar Panahi for his film It Was Just an Accident. “I feel immeasurably inspired by what I’ve seen here,” he added.
Serving under jury president Juliette Binoche, Strong joined an international panel including Halle Berry, Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, Hong Sang-soo, Alba Rohrwacher, Leila Slimani, Dieudo Hamadi, and Carlos Reygadas.
The jury awarded It Was Just an Accident the top honor for its powerful portrayal of moral reckoning and survival. The film tells the story of a group of former Iranian prisoners deciding whether to seek revenge on a man they believe was their torturous guard. It is Panahi’s first film following his imprisonment in 2023 for criticizing the Iranian regime.
Juliette Binoche praised the film’s human and political depth. “He comes from a complicated country, politically speaking,” she said. “The film springs from a feeling of resistance and survival, which is absolutely necessary today. So we thought it was important to give this film the paramount award.”
She concluded with a strong affirmation of art’s enduring power: “Art will always win. What is human will always win. Our creative urge can transform the world.”
Echoing that sentiment, Jeremy Strong emphasized the jury’s aim to honor films with transcendent artistic value. He linked this to actor Robert De Niro’s opening ceremony remarks: “Fascists should fear art,” adding a deeper resonance to the festival’s celebration of resistance and expression.