Chaz Ebert recounts her Chaz Ebert recounts her expertise on the 2025 Cannes Movie Pageant, from mobile phone utilization to panels to chats with critics and correspondents additionally attending the fest. Topics interviewed embody composer Baptiste Charvet, professors Nate Kohn and Eric Pierson; actors Nicholas and Pamela Visitor; Mill Valley Movie Pageant Director Mark Fishkin, and movie critic and professor Zbigniew Banas.
We additionally give out this yr’s inaugural FECK/CANNES Award, to Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Simply an Accident.”
Watch the video and browse the transcript beneath.
Chaz:
Welcome again to Cannes 2025. I’m Chaz Ebert. As I screened dozens of flicks this yr in Cannes, I’ve been reminded of what my late husband, Roger Ebert, stated is probably the most noble issues films can do: make us really feel empathy for others by placing us of their sneakers. For that purpose, I’m asserting the inaugural FECK/Cannes Award. As you could know, final yr I wrote a e-book entitled It’s Time to Give a FECK. F.E.C.Ok. elevating humanity by forgiveness, empathy, compassion, and kindness.
The FECK Cannes award will honor the movie that almost all exemplifies these qualities, and the winner this yr is “It Was Simply an Accident” from Iranian director Jafar Panahi. The story revolves round a person who believes he has discovered a former army official who had tortured him previously. He kidnaps the person off the road and plans to kill him, however begins to have doubts that he has the appropriate particular person.
He enlists the assistance of numerous different people who had additionally been tortured to attempt to establish the particular person he captured. The movie presents a wide range of doable outcomes, together with ethical and moral selections that every character should make. I discovered this movie fascinating in the way in which that it teased forwards and backwards with these very ideas.
The alternatives they needed to make concerned implications of homicide and self-righteous revenge, but additionally very a lot handled issues about forgiveness, empathy, compassion, and kindness. Mr. Panahi himself was imprisoned in Iran and beneath home arrest for the films he made that the regime thought-about an affront to the federal government, however his restrictions on journey have been solely lately lifted to permit him to return to Cannes.
So there’s a studied depth within the movie that makes it worthy of this yr’s FECK Cannes award. We’ll be asserting the complete awards, which shall be hosted in Chicago subsequent April. However for additional info on find out how to submit nominations, please go to giveafeck.com.
After all, the Cannes Movie Pageant is many issues. It’s the films, the crimson carpet, the prizes.
However the extra I come to Cannes, and I’ve been attending for practically 40 years, I’ve realized that the temper in Cannes can be set by the music and the folks we meet. This yr I received an opportunity to take a seat down and chat with completed music composer Baptiste Charvet. He’s a good friend from Paris who composes scores for each tv and movie.
Chaz:
It’s not usually that we get to introduce a composer right here at Cannes, however at this time we have now Mr. Baptiste Charvetand he composes for tv and for films and, and in any other case. And I’d like to only welcome you right here.
Baptiste Charvet:
Thanks very a lot.
Chaz;
Thanks. And really, you could possibly be welcoming me since you, in spite of everything, you’re the one who from France. I’m from Chicago.
Baptiste:
Truly. I want to welcome you in France and in Cannes. After all.
Chaz:
All proper. Inform us slightly bit about your your background.
Baptiste:
Okay. So my background is I’m a classical pianist, composer, and my household, everyone is a musician. And my nice nice grandmother is now a really well-known composer. Feminine composer. Oh, sure. Her identify is Mel Bonis. She’s as she’s as well-known as, Debussy or Fahey. These days it’s it’s it’s loopy fantastic. Yeah. So I’ve to maintain up.
Chaz:
Oh, fantastic. And is she nonetheless with us or?
Baptiste:
Oh, no.
Like my nice nice nice nice nice nice. Sure. And so, so that is my, blood, background, bloodline background. And so I’ve studied piano for, 20 years, classical piano for 20 years. And I’m, self, the way you say that?
Chaz:
Self-taught.
Baptiste:
Self-taught music.
Chaz:
Composer. I didn’t know that.
Baptiste:
I at all times had music in my head. And I’m very fortunate. I at all times with computer systems, synthesizers and piano and guitars. I’ve at all times been in a position to obtain what I’ve in my head.
From the pinnacle to the musicians.
Chaz:
, there’s a movie right here.
Baptiste:
“The Historical past of Sound.”
Chaz:
“The Historical past of Sound.” Oliver Hermanus, I believe. And the the protagonist in that one noticed colours, music and colours when he heard music or sound. How do you’re employed? What’s your course of?
Baptiste:
So when it’s for an artist. Sure. Okay. So with artist is I ship, first draft of music and also you write, we attempt to, Okay. I like what you what you wrote. Now let let me adapt. And we go like that right here. That I adapt. And on the finish, we have now a track we love collectively.
Chaz:
I like that. Who’re a few of your different influences? From the previous?
Baptiste:
So in classical music, it will be Debussy. This that is my favourite, favourite ever. Composers.
Chaz:
Which one of many halls right here is at Cannes is called Claude Debussy.
Baptiste:
After all. Sure, after all. And, within the music within the movie trade, I’ve to confess, I like, Hans Zimmer for the reason that starting.
Chaz:
Oh, Hans Zimmer. Sure.
Baptiste:
I do know it’s a heavy music, however the themes are at all times lovely. And he invented a manner of composing. And even the French man, George Delerue has completed superb music, clips, and I’ve to return again to American John Williams, after all.
I imply, each, each music he has composed, it was good.
Chaz:
Properly, thanks for serving to to lift the consciousness of the world!
Baptiste:
Thanks.
Chaz:
Please keep optimistic.
Baptiste:
I’ll do this for certain.
Chaz:
Merci beaucoup
Professor Nate Kohn from the College of Georgia in Athens and Physician Eric Pierson from San Diego College each convey their college college students to Cannes. They’re additionally good mates of the Ebert Fest movie pageant, held yearly in April in Champaign, Illinois, along with the College of Illinois. They stopped by the Lodge Splendid to speak about their actions in Cannes.
one factor about coming to Cannes for thus a few years, when my late husband Roger did it, he stated, top-of-the-line issues to do is to introduce the subsequent technology to it. And I believe we have now the 2 gents with me at this time who do this fantastically. We’ve got Professor Nate Kohn from the College of Georgia in Athens, and we have now Professor Eric Pierson from the College of San Diego.
Welcome, Nate and Eric.
Nate:
Thanks. Good to be right here.
Chaz:
Why come to Cannes? There are such a lot of movie festivals, and I’ve to inform our viewers, as a result of I’m very happy with you each have been at Ebert Fest, the Roger Ebert Movie Pageant in Champaign, Illinois, from the very starting, which was, I believe, 26 years in the past. And, , there are such a lot of different movie festivals on the planet.
Why do you retain coming again to the Cannes Movie Pageant?
Nate:
As a result of it’s, one of many oldest, most prestigious and most worldwide movie festivals. I convey 30 college students right here yearly. I’ve been doing it for 23 years, I believe. And it’s a very long time. And, what I discover is that they uncover that the US is just not the middle of the world, that there exist relationships between nations that don’t undergo the US. They find out how tales are instructed, by completely different cultures in numerous methods.
And it simply turns them into cosmopolitans, which, they weren’t after they, initially got here right here.
Chaz:
That’s nice.
Eric:
Yeah. And I’ll piggyback on that. The worldwide really feel of the pageant, the place you the place you do start to grasp that there they’re fantastic tales being instructed exterior of the US and, and and also you as an individual fascinated by a movie, you must strive to determine find out how to avail yourselves of these tales as a result of there’s simply there’s simply a whole lot of the world that you simply don’t get to discover personally, however you possibly can discover by movie. And that’s one of many the explanation why I preserve coming again. It’s an exquisite expertise. And and I’m certain Nate would agree with me. You can not replicate this within the classroom. It’s a must to be right here.
Chaz:
So whenever you come to Cannes, it’s actually everything of the expertise in your college students. However additionally it is a movie pageant. Was there a movie this yr whether or not it’s in competitors or a sidebar that basically stood out for both you or your college students?
Nate:
Properly, my college students, had an fascinating response to “Nouvelle Obscure”, the Richard Linklater image. Richard Linklater allowed them to see the movie. It’s arduous to get into see movies, ? And, they have been form of reluctant to go, however they, they went and so they simply fell in love with the image.
Chaz:
, what I did too. It’s so a lot enjoyable. And I believed what concerning the audacity of Richard Linklater making a movie in French, bringing it to Cannes concerning the French New Wave. However your college students beloved it, too.
Nate:
They beloved it. And so they stated, the place can we see “Breathless”? So, it opens up a complete world to them. Sure. Of, , the the French New Wave. So now they’re going to hunt out the movies by Godard and Truffaut and Agnes Varda.
Chaz:
I adore it.
Eric:
So, some college students stated, , that they they wished me to see, Eddington.
Chaz:
Oh, Ari Aster.
Eric”
Sure. And so I, I went to see it and I’ll say that one of many barometers for judging a movie for me is how lengthy it bangs round in your head after you’ve seen it.
And this movie remains to be banging round in my head. And I noticed it, like, three days in the past, so, so I’m nonetheless attempting to course of it, so I’m not fairly certain the place I’m but.
Chaz:
So let me inform you the most important shock for me about rester. I had an opportunity to take a seat down and speak to him as a result of I beloved “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” and a few of his different movies. I believed he was an older Swede. I didn’t know he was a younger American director. And in order that was a nice shock.
But additionally, I imply, he’s very good. And the factor about this, it was the pandemic, however the worry and the worry that exist in our nation at this time, after the election, the newest elections, presidential elections actually resonated for me in Eddington.
Nate:
The fascinating factor is for my college students, Ari Aster is God. I imply, they love Midsommar and I imply…
Chaz:
Even Bo is afraid.
Nate:
Yeah. In order that they have been actually wanting to see this film, and, it’s shocked them.
Chaz:
Okay, I’m going to ask. Simply going again in your thoughts through the years, is there a selected incident or explicit film that stood out for you in your Cannes expertise?
Nate:
I’ve received a pair in my head, to start with, to speak to you. And also you keep in mind it nicely I’m certain. It was the dedication of the Roger Ebert Theater on the American Pavilion. Martin Scorsese, he was there.
Chaz:
Convention Heart
Nate.
Convention heart. Sure. Martin Scorsese, he was there. I went with Paul Cox. I introduced him to it. He was not nicely on the time, however he made the hassle to return, and I, I sat subsequent to the Thierry Fremaux, the pageant director, and it was simply a unprecedented occasion to be there with these these individuals who have been honoring Roger with with the theater.
The opposite was it was a extra less complicated time just a few years earlier than, once I first began bringing college students to the pageant. Roger got here to speak to the scholars on the American Pavilion, and he sat there, and he spent he spent over an hour simply, answering their questions, speaking to them. And, I’ve I’ve a nonetheless {photograph} of him doing that, and, it’s {a photograph} I treasure.
I keep in mind that second.
Chaz:
what? It’s simply fantastic to have you ever each right here at this time. Thanks.
Eric and Nate:
Thanks a lot.
Chaz:s
I’m additionally personally touched by the very human tales. Pamela and Nicholas Visitor, fantastic actors and producers from LA, sadly have been victims of the LA fires that destroyed their residence and so lots of their belongings.
I’ve the pleasure of reintroducing two company that we’ve had earlier than. Pamela and Nicholas Visitor. They’re filmmakers. Pamela can be a casting director.
And likewise, I’ll allow you to introduce a number of the different belongings you do, however I simply need you to assist me welcome them. And I like to speak to you about your expertise right here in Cannes. I wish to speak to you first about one thing very private. You have been affected, you reside in Los Angeles space. You have been affected by the fires there.
They appear devastating. Are you able to inform us just a bit bit about what that have was like for you?
Pamela Visitor:
Properly, I used to be residence and we had an condominium on the cliff within the Palisades, proper, trying on the ocean daily, which we discovered very uplifting and galvanizing to be there. And anyway, I’ve been lately producing our daughter’s movie that we’re additionally in. Nick likes to say we play her dad and mom. We inform everybody he’s very happy with the truth that not solely is he actually her father, however he performs your father.
Anyway, so, I used to be engaged on the pc on the film. Liz and Nick have been off. She was serving to him do an audition in Hollywood. And I used to be sitting there on the laptop and received the phrase that there was a hearth, , a kind of alerts. However there’s at all times alerts on the market. Sure, Malibu is burning. Topanga is burning. It occurs on a regular basis. And it simply occurred like two weeks earlier than or one thing anyway. And so I didn’t take it significantly. After which I needed to get out now, , go. That is horrible. And so we had a automobile within the storage. Fortunately. And I used to be in a position to drive away, but it surely took me 4 hours to get to Westwood, which is often 20 minutes.
Chaz:
Due to all of the visitors?
Pamela:
Bumper to bumper folks attempting to get away. Sure. And as I turned a nook onto Temescal to go right down to the seaside, the fireplace was actually proper right here on the opposite facet of the highway.
Chaz:
You might see it. Might you’re feeling it?
Pamela:
Sure. And I turned and snapped an image. As a result of I used to be in denial. I used to be like, it was probably the most weird expertise. I used to be not afraid. I didn’t take something. I didn’t take it significantly. I simply hopped out and did what they have been telling us. So it was very unusual. And it continues to be very unusual as a result of all the pieces is gone.
Nicholas Visitor:
The actually essential sentimental and all the pieces, a whole lot of stuff.
Pamela:
…that meant so much to us, was in that condominium.
Chaz:
I actually considered you throughout the fires as a result of, I’ll have instructed you this once I was 4 or 5 years previous. I used to be in, my costume was on fireplace. I used to be within the hospital for months. I needed to be dunked in, some resolution or one thing. Luckily,there’s virtually no hint of it on my pores and skin anyplace.
However I keep in mind Santa Claus came over me, and I keep in mind standing there on my massive crib like factor, and he checked out my eyes and he stated, little woman, you will have the wisest, saddest eyes I’ve ever seen. Santa Claus telling me this once I was like 4 or 5 years previous and he stated, what would you like for Christmas?
I stated, I don’t, I need nothing. Give it to all the opposite youngsters. So once I take into consideration fireplace, I take into consideration that. And I understand how like, devastating it may be.
Nicholas:
Properly, one factor that occurred, by the way in which, proper after that is that we have been instructed the place to go. All of the individuals who had misplaced their locations. And it was it occurred to be at a spot referred to as the West Facet Pavilion. So FEMA was there and all these different organizations and everybody there, I, I don’t assume I’ve ever skilled that a lot heat and kindness in my entire life.
They have been simply unimaginable. I imply, I received goosebumps the entire time. I’ve been impressed since I’ve been right here as a result of I like, as , being a world setting, I’m instantly happier as quickly as I get right here.
Chaz:
And, yeah, I, I hate to interrupt this. You have been on a really good roll, however I do know you additionally do voices. Are you able to do some accents?
Nicholas:
I believe, for instance, once I first was right here, it was very troublesome as a result of folks have been talking in like, metaphors. You say metaphor, this type of factor. And, I’ve to confess, it was troubling once I stated, are they attempting to confuse me? Are you aware what I imply?
Chaz:
You didn’t know the which means.
NIcholas:
No. So I had I virtually left gone. I used to be now, however I imply, it’s simply enjoyable, really. Movie is sort of a circle. So it continues. It goes spherical and spherical. So you’re feeling such as you’re caught, , like on a carousel. And it’s not stopping you, ? . No, thanks. So anyway, that makes me pleased.
As a result of they’re all right here. All of those persons are right here.
Chaz:
Yeah. After you allow, can what do you foresee for the longer term? In movie andl in life?
Nicholas:
I used to be simply going to say, I imply, this explicit Cannes was significantly extraordinary as a result of we have been right here to be supportive of our daughter’s first film. , we have been actors in it. However, I imply, it was simply all about her. And that feels so nice to not I imply, simply to be in that state of supporting, , her profession.
Pamela:
And I’m additionally working as a casting director on a brand new venture. It’s the it’s a studying of a screenplay referred to as The Most Harmful Ebook, which is concerning the writing and banning of James Joyce’s Ulysses by Donald Margulies. It’s a full blown screenplay, however we’re doing a studying in Los Angeles of it to draw, , curiosity and, , no matter.
Chaz:
So I like seeing the three of you as a household, as a result of we have now a lot on this world that divides us at this time that once I see one thing the place it’s being held collectively by love and goodwill, that’s simply so lovely.
Nicholas:
So we’re lucky.
Pamela:
We’re lucky. Yeah. Thanks.
Chaz:
Thanks.
Cannes continues to push the boundaries of movie and leisure with the immersive competitors that options digital actuality, AI, and different kinds of new applied sciences. 16 works from 9 nations have been a part of the official choice, and the Greatest Immersive Work award went to “From Mud”, created by Michel Van Der Aa, for recognizing a creation that pushed the boundaries of storytelling, artwork, area and viewers engagement.
Many right here in Cannes are representing different movie festivals from world wide, and so they come to see movies they might want to convey residence. A type of folks is the founding father of the Mill Valley Movie Pageant in California. He’s been coming to Cannes for practically 40 years, and he talked to us about why Cannes is so essential.
Mark Fishkin:
Everyone knows these are difficult instances to say the least, and it’s troublesome to stay optimistic. However I believe for a lot of causes, private causes that aren’t simply private to me, however everybody having kids and grandchildren and the hope that you really want for the longer term. However it does come to me that I and I do know not everyone, as I discussed earlier than, believes this, however I do actually assume that movie will be probably the most highly effective affect.
We talked about empathy, however actually the tales which might be being instructed. And that’s what’s actually is exclusive about Cannes and festivals. I imagine usually, they’re coping with actually present modern points which might be frequent to all of us, and to have that dialogue and to have the ability to have a look at what’s occurring world wide when all the pieces that we see in the US, not all the pieces, however most issues, it’s only a sound chunk.
And to have the ability to dig in and and discover these points in a really private manner, that basically, for me, that movie does higher than another medium is basically does give me hope.
Chaz:
I additionally sat down with Zbigniew Banas, one other Chicago movie critic, who has been coming to Cannes for many years, and he shares with us what brings him again yr after yr.
I’m very pleased to current Zbigniew Banas. He’s a movie critic, a journalist, and he teaches Polish movie historical past in Chicago. And what I wish to speak to him about is he’s been to Cannes over 35 instances, and I believe that he has a precious perception to share with us.
That is the and I’ve to inform you, it’s the primary time I ever referred to as you a nickname as a result of I at all times love saying your full identify.
Zbigniew:
Properly, right here we’re on this worldwide crowd, in Cannes. So I am going by my Polish identify and I mix proper in.
Chaz:
What are a number of the issues that made an impression on you coming to the pageant through the years?
Zbigniew:
It’s about assembly folks. As I stated, for me, since I’m Polish, I’ve at all times been linked to Polish cinema. The very first yr needed to do with assembly Kieslowski, who was right here with “A Quick Movie about Killing”, then with “The Double Lifetime of Véronique.” Then with “Three Colours: Crimson.” And never solely did we develop into very pleasant right here, to a degree at which I might later go to him on the set when he was capturing “White”, in Warsaw.
I even turned his interpreter right here at Cannes on just a few events, and it was a really particular relationship. Then, sadly, he handed away, within the mid Nineteen Nineties. However it all needed to do with Cannes. And, , the yr that “Pulp Fiction” received the Palme d’Or. All of us have been, nicely at the very least the Polish group right here, we have been hoping that “Three Colours: Crimson” would win.
it was the identical yr. And that was, , within the operating till the very, very finish, solely to be crushed by “Pulp Fiction.” What can I say?
Chaz:
Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the way forward for movie?
Zbigniew:
I’m reasonably optimistic. The demise of cinema has been pronounced on a number of events earlier than, and one way or the other cinema has survived. There are lots of people who love films. Like to see films on the large display screen, specifically. So I’m not fearful. So far as cinema is anxious, for the subsequent 5, ten, 15 years. Ask me the identical query in 20 years after which who is aware of
what the reply goes to be. Nevertheless, it appears to me that the golden period of movie festivals is, on its manner down. It’s waning down. And one way or the other all of the offers that Cannes was so well-known for now are completed by way of, emails. , screeners are despatched. So not as many individuals really feel compelled to return bodily to Cannes.
And the pageant remains to be taking part in an important position, extra so than another single pageant on the planet. However it’s that side of the way forward for the cinema that I’m much less optimistic about. However for now, daily we are able to come right here within the anticipation of watching the perfect new films and assembly previous mates, and seeing the facility of cinema nonetheless to unite folks, to inform us the sorts of tales that make us surprise each, , esthetically, intellectually, but additionally emotionally, concerning the horizons that we might by no means in any other case be capable of cross.
And that’s a sense which you can’t get anyplace else.
Chaz:
Oh, I like that. I like that reply a lot. Properly, let me ask for us each to carry on to that modicum of optimism. Properly thanks.
Zbigniew:
It’s all we have now left…apart from the films.
Chaz:
The flicks, there’s at all times the films.
Zbigniew:
Precisely.
Chaz:
That’s all for Cannes for this yr. what? It was an incredible pageant with fantastic movies, nice climate, and most significantly, fantastic folks from all around the world to go to and speak with. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us this yr. We will’t wait to return again in 2026, and we hope you’ll be a part of us then. Till then, au revoir.
