Actresses stripping on the beach, films greeted with boos, masterpieces that enraged dictators and hypocritical conservative clergymen, controversial jury decisions, incendiary remarks and high-profile feuds - these are just some of the scandals that have marked the history of the Cannes Film Festival. As Israeli songwriter Naomi Shemer famously wrote: “I have no dull moments, there are either scandals or festivals."
With the cinematic world set to gather in the coastal resort town of Cannes for the festival's 78th edition, here are twelve especially dramatic, controversial, and stormy moments that have become part of its legacy.
1954 | Actress Simone Silva posing topless for photographers
In 1954, Simone Silva, an Egyptian-born French model and film actress who appeared in a few British B-films, traveled to the 1954 Cannes Film Festival to get herself noticed. She succeeded, and the festival organizers awarded her the honorary title of "Miss Festival 1954".
During a photo session on one of the Riviera’s beaches, she posed topless while cupping her breasts, standing beside a stunned Robert Mitchum. “The photographers got down on their knees to plead with me to take the top off,” she said.
What followed was chaos; the scramble to get the best shots was to the extent that several photographers were injured, suffering broken limbs.
Silva’s daring photos made headlines worldwide, but the festival committee was horrified by what they called a “vulgar publicity stunt” that damaged the festival’s reputation as a serious artistic event, and Silva was asked to leave immediately.
Hoping to ride the wave of notoriety, Silva headed to the United States but found little success and returned to Britain. Her career never recovered.
In 1957, she was found dead at the age of 29 in her London apartment. An autopsy gave the cause of death as a stroke. Friends believed an extreme diet related to her struggles with weight contributed to her death. While her films are largely forgotten, her topless scandal remains etched in Cannes folklore.
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1961 | Dictator Francisco Franco tries to ban ‘Viridiana’
Spanish surrealist and provocateur Luis Buñuel built his career on upsetting the status quo, targeting both religious institutions and bourgeois decadence. In 1961, he drew the ire of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco over his film "Viridiana", which Franco condemned as anti-Christian and tried to censor.
Franco's fury was justifiable, as the film follows a young woman named Viridiana who plans to become a nun but inherits her uncle’s estate. The uncle, who falls in love with her, commits suicide. Viridiana later invites local beggars and prostitutes to live on the property, but her altruism ends badly, as the guests assault her. The film concludes with a grotesque orgy, Buñuel’s darkly satirical take on Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
The bold, aggressive, and uncompromising yet poetic film was smuggled out of Spain and screened at Cannes, where it sparked a scandal over a sex scene involving a young nun. That didn't stop it from winning the Palme d'Or.
The Vatican called for a boycott of "Viridiana", and Spain complied. Buñuel was forced into exile and continued his work in France.
When the film was screened in Israel, the headline in Haaretz newspaper read: “A Masterpiece laced with dynamite.” Six decades later, "Viridiana" remains an inspiration for young filmmakers worldwide.
1968 | The Festival's 21st edition was canceled 5 days before its conclusion
The 21st Cannes Film Festival holds the rare distinction of being canceled before it concluded. Winners were not declared, and prizes were not awarded. Held in May 1968, it was disrupted by France’s nationwide student protests, led in part by Daniel Cohn-Bendit, nicknamed “Danny the Red”, as well as a massive general strike involving some 10 million workers demanding better wages and conditions.
French film critics, led by director François Truffaut, urged attendees to join the strike. “There will be no cocktail parties, galas, or premieres,” they announced. During the festival, some directors withdrew their films from competition, and several jury members resigned.
On May 19, five days before the scheduled closing, festival president Robert Favre Le Bret officially called it off, citing concerns over riots, protests, and fights.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper ran the headline “The Festival is Dead,” and journalist Ziva Yariv wrote sardonically: "The curtain has fallen on the grand performance. The festival died a sudden death, its song silenced mid-verse."
Only 11 of the 28 competing films were screened; the rest, including Menahem Golan’s "Tevye and His Seven Daughters", never made it to the screen.
The events of May 1968 made a change, not only politically and in the labor market in France, but also forced the Cannes festival to evolve. A year later, French directors united to demand that the festival organizers adopt less conventional programming and refocus on cinema itself.
1976 | 'Taxi Driver' divides the festivalgoers
Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece Taxi Driver, a portrayal of a mentally unstable Vietnam veteran haunting the streets of New York to clean up the decadent, filthy city, shocked the Cannes audience and critics in 1976.
The film’s unrelenting violence proved too much for some, especially after a failed bombing attempt by terrorists had shaken the festival the previous year. It was no surprise, then, that some spectators in 1976 felt paranoia and anxiety, and could not stand the horrific sights of "Taxi Driver".
Even playwright Tennessee Williams, who had served as the president of the jury that year, publicly criticized the brutality that characterized the competing films, and especially "Taxi Driver". “Watching violence on the screen is a brutalizing experience for the spectator,” Williams said to reporters. “Films should not take a voluptuous pleasure in spilling blood and in lingering on terrible cruelties as though one were in a Roman circus", he added.
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"Taxi Driver" was awarded the Palme d’Or but Scorsese was already back in the US. Producer Michael Phillips (center) with Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood
(Photo: AP)
Despite the backlash, the jury couldn’t ignore Taxi Driver’s artistry. It was awarded the Palme d’Or. Half the audience rose for a standing ovation, while the other half booed. Scorsese, aware of Williams’ disdain for his work, skipped the closing ceremony and returned to the United States.
1989 | Spike Lee threatens the president of the jury
In 1989, German filmmaker Wim Wenders ("Wings of Desire"), serving as the president of the jury, awarded the Palme d’Or to an American director, Steven Soderbergh, for “Sex, Lies, and Videotape", leaving another American, Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing", empty-handed.
The outraged Lee claimed Wenders admitted that he did not award "Do the Right Thing" the Palme d'Or because he thought that the depiction of the character that Lee played in the movie, Mookie, was not heroic as a character.
The unabashed, unrestrained Lee accused Wenders of robbing him of the prize and threatened to chase him with a baseball bat, adding: “Wenders had better watch out.”
Three decades later, in a 2018 CNN interview, Wenders spoke to Spike right through the camera, saying: “I was the president of the jury, but I didn’t decide anything on my own; and that was the year 1989 with amazing movies, and some great directors didn't get the prize, and you were one of them. I hope we can make peace. Lee said we should meet in Brooklyn. I hope it's not in a dark alley. Maybe we’ll both bring our baseball bats and cross them peacefully. I think it's about time to end this."
Lee later admitted in an interview that it was a mistake to threaten Wenders but maintained that "Do the Right Thing" deserved greater acclaim.
In a full-circle moment, Lee chaired the Cannes jury in 2021 and awarded a Jury Prize to Israeli director Nadav Lapid for "Ahed’s Knee".
2003 | "The Brown Bunny" and the scandalous scene
Vincent Gallo’s "The Brown Bunny" was denounced at Cannes in 2003. Famed critic Roger Ebert called it "the worst movie in the history of the Cannes Film Festival", adding, "I had a colonoscopy once, and they let me watch it on TV. It was more entertaining than The Brown Bunny."
Gallo hit back by calling Ebert a “fat pig with the physique of a slave-trader,” and cursed the critic with cancer.
The film, featuring an unsimulated oral sex scene with actress Chloë Sevigny, prompted mass walkouts and boos. Sevigny, then considered the "queen of cool", stood by her choice, never regretting the scandal. “I wasn’t afraid to be so exposed on screen,” she told a reporter in Cannes.
When we met in Cannes right after the premiere screening, she said, “I wasn't afraid to perform in such a revealing scene. What’s the big deal? I’ve done that in real life and still do. Everyone does or has done it. When Vincent called and told me what he needed, I agreed right away without even reading the script. I’ve known him since I was 17 and have always admired his work.”
When I met with Sevigny four years after the affair and asked whether she had suffered or paid a price because of the scandal, she said, "Not really. It didn’t harm me or damage my career. Many people in the industry and my close circle were very supportive. There were also viewers who liked "The Brown Bunny". It’s just a shame the media was so unkind to us and tore the film apart."
2005 | Sophie Marceau's mishap on the Red Carpet
In 2005, French actress Sophie Marceau, known for her role in the teen classic "La Boum," experienced an unexpected wardrobe malfunction at the Cannes premiere of "Where the Truth Lies". As she walked on the red carpet, a strap of her dress fell off and exposed her entire breast.
The stunned Marceau managed the awkward situation with humor, offering a surprised smile to the hundreds of photographers who were happy to capture the unexpected moment, before quickly adjusting her dress.
The incident garnered widespread media attention, with some speculating it was a publicity stunt. Marceau insisted it was accidental, attributing it to a "little angel" loosening her strap.
Critics noted that her breast had been previously mentioned in two songs, though Marceau was furious about it, as she had expressed discomfort with nude scenes.
2011 | Director Lars von Trier declared 'Persona Non Grata'
There is no doubt that one of the most headline-grabbing and controversial figures in the history of Cannes is Danish director Lars von Trier.
As early as his debut film, "The Element of Crime", in 1984, many viewers walked out during the premiere screening. Since then, von Trier has won numerous awards, but he has continued to provoke critics, especially female critics, who have accused him of misogyny and of taking pleasure in portraying suffering, abused female characters.
In 2009, his film "Antichrist" deeply divided audiences and critics at the festival, featuring a series of particularly disturbing scenes (such as one in which Charlotte Gainsbourg mutilates her genitals) that led to fainting spells and boos from the audience.
But the peak of controversy came in 2011, when von Trier was declared "persona non grata" and unceremoniously expelled from the French resort town following antisemitic remarks and provocative jokes during a press conference for his film "Melancholia".
Von Trier, who was raised by a Jewish father, who later turned out not to be his biological parent, made the following remarks at the event: “I thought I was a Jew for a long time and was very happy being a Jew. Then it turned out that I was not a Jew. I found out that I was really a Nazi which also gave me some pleasure."
“What can I say? I understand Hitler. He did some wrong things, absolutely, but I sympathize with him. But come on, I am not for the Second World War, and I am not against Jews. I am very much for Jews; well not too much because Israel is a pain in the ass."
Realizing he was getting himself into trouble and noticing the discomfort in the room, accompanied with nervous laughter, von Trier began twisting, eventually concluding with a laugh, "How can I get out of this sentence ... OK I’m a Nazi”, even invoking the term “the final solution.”
Cannes organizers, shocked by the problematic pronouncements and the ensuing scandal, declared von Trier a "persona non grata", and he was forced to leave the city.
Seven years later, the festival forgave the provocative and controversial director, who returned to the French Riviera with "The House that Jack Built", about an engineer who becomes a serial killer. During the film’s gala premiere, large numbers of audience members walked out, unable to endure its brutal and graphic scenes, including the murder of children.
2013 | The great jewelry heist
During the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, a heist at a luxury hotel resulted in the theft of $1.4 million worth of Chopard jewelry, intended for use by actresses walking the red carpet. Typically, both the jewels and the stars who wear them are heavily guarded, making the breach of security and the looting of the safe all the more surprising. Some even speculated whether the incident might have been a publicity stunt.
Chopard, one of Cannes' major sponsors and the designer of the Palme d’Or trophy, sought to downplay the incident. Spokespersons claimed the reported value was far lower than the figures circulating and said the jewelry wasn’t meant for any high-profile actresses. Chopard's Co-president Caroline Scheufele rejected the PR stunt theory and insisted the theft was a serious ordeal: “It’s not a pleasant feeling when someone takes something that belongs to you. Fortunately, the thief was caught. We definitely learned lessons from this and have employed a strict security system at Cannes."
2019 | Alain Delon receives the Honorary Palme d'Or and sparks outrage
When Cannes organizers announced in 2019 that they had decided to award the aging French star Alain Delon with an Honorary Palme d'Or, claiming he was “a giant, a living legend, and a global icon,” they did not anticipate the outcry that ensued.
Several feminist organizations in France, as well as Hollywood groups, protested the decision, citing Delon’s history of sexist and homophobic remarks (he had previously opposed the adoption of children by same-sex parents).
Outraged critics questioned how a festival that claims to champion women’s empowerment and diversity could make such a choice, and they called for the decision to be withdrawn.
A French feminist organization said that “Cannes is sending a negative signal to women and victims of violence by honoring Delon in spite of the fact that he admitted to having slapped women.”
Protesters launched a petition that drew tens of thousands of signatures from both men and women.
Cannes director Thierry Fremaux defended the decision to give Delon the prize, arguing that "We're not giving him the Nobel Peace Prize." Fremaux added: "He’s entitled to express his view. Today it is very difficult to reward or honor somebody because there is a political police that falls on you."
Delon himself sought to soften the backlash, saying, "It’s the women who got me into this profession. If I hadn’t met the women I met, I would have died long ago."
The protests failed to disrupt the event, and Delon was welcomed in Cannes with honors.
During the award ceremony, he was visibly emotional, wiping away tears as clips from his iconic films were shown. "After seeing how I looked back then, I don’t know how you can even look at me now,” he said. “It’s also hard to watch so many actors and actresses on screen who are no longer with us. I’m going home, I didn’t come here to cry."
2023 | Film starring Johnny Depp was chosen to open the Cannes festival
In the summer of 2021, Johnny Depp’s career seemed finished. His highly publicized legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, who accused him of verbal and physical abuse, often fueled by drugs and alcohol, led to widespread professional fallout. He was asked to resign from playing in the third “Fantastic Beasts” film, and his completed films were shelved.
"The Pirates of the Caribbean" star became persona non grata. And in Hollywood’s #MeToo era, he couldn't stand a chance. As one Hollywood executive put it anonymously to The Hollywood Reporter, “You simply can’t work with him now. He’s radioactive.”
Depp’s legal victory in court, however, cleared a path for his comeback. The first to cast him was French actress-director Maïwenn, who chose him to portray the indulgent and decadent King Louis XV in her film "Jeanne du Barry".
When the Cannes Film Festival announced it would open its 76th edition with "Jeanne du Barry", the decision sparked controversy, not just because of Depp, but also because of Maïwenn herself.
She had been accused of assaulting journalist Edwy Plenel, editor-in-chief of the web-based investigative journal Mediapart, over its reports on filmmaker Luc Besson, Maïwenn’s ex-husband and the father of her daughter, who got involved in multiple scandals.
Feminist groups and industry voices criticized the selection in Maïwenn's film. Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux defended the move, stating that he learned about the complaint only after "Jeanne du Barry" had already been announced as the choice for the opening night movie.
"I don’t see Maïwenn’s film as a controversial choice at all, because if Johnny Depp had been banned from working, it would have been different, but that’s not the case. We only know one thing, it’s the justice system, and I think he won the legal case. But the movie isn’t about Johnny Depp."
Despite the uproar, the film’s premiere went ahead without incident, generating headlines and marking the beginning of Depp’s attempted career revival.
2024 | Threats to expose sexually abusive filmmakers
France’s embrace of the #MeToo movement came fashionably late. Rape charges and serious sexual assault allegations mounted against French cultural icons like Gérard Depardieu and several prominent directors.
In the days leading up to the last festival, rumors circulated among the French film industry that a media outlet planned to publish a list of alleged assaulters and rapists during the festival.
Cannes organizers were reportedly in panic mode. They hired crisis consultants to handle the matter. The threat of this “hit list” momentarily pushed even global issues, such as the war in Gaza, the hostage crisis, and the war in Ukraine, off the agenda.
Festival organizers issued clear behavioral guidelines to attendees, including explicit warnings against harassment and abuse of power.
Throughout the festival, actors, directors, and producers were repeatedly asked to address sexual misconduct in interviews. Not everyone welcomed the scrutiny; some deflected or refused to respond. While the full list was never published, several high-profile individuals were named after the festival and, in some cases, were removed from their positions.