There are years when Cannes feels like a ritual – and then there was this year, when the Croisette bristles with the kind of energy one can’t manufacture, writes Darragh Leen: red carpet risks, jaw-dropping debuts, and the comforting return of cinema that actually says something.
Here are ten takeaways from the 2025 festival…
1. Trump’s film tariffs spoil the party
Just when the festival had reclaimed its post-pandemic, post-industry strikes buoyancy, US president Donald Trump cast an economic shadow over the Riviera. His proposed plan to impose tariffs on films made outside the US sent a jolt through the Marché. Tensions simmered among hesitant…