Highlights from Cannes as film festival wraps up

As the Cannes film festival hands out its prizes, AFP looks back at some of the highlights of a politically charged fortnight of screenings and celebrity sightings. The festival began on May 13 with a flap about a new dress code which states that extravagantly large dresses are prohibited on the red carpet, as well as “total nudity”.

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Oscar-winner Halle Berry was the first victim, with the “Monster's Ball” star forced into a wardrobe change for the opening ceremony because her dress was too long.

Although many people seemed to flout the guidelines, Indian model and influencer Snigdha Baruah was forced to remove a flowing train from her dress having been barred by security at the VIP entrance. Not content to let the dresses steal all the limelight, “Succession” star and jury member Jeremy Strong has brought some eye-catching menswear in bold colours to the Riviera.

After years of scandals in the film industry and pressure to take a stand, the festival announced a new #MeToo policy by barring an actor in a prominent French film from the red carpet because of rape allegations. Theo Navarro-Mussy, who appears in “Dossier 137”, denies the allegations and an initial police investigation was closed last month. This year’s gathering on the Riviera marked a step in the rehabilitation of scandal-plagued star Kevin Spacey, however, who accepted a lifetime achievement award at a charity gala.