Cannes: a disabled actress turned away from the red carpet because of her sneakers

“What a shame!” tweeted Albert Zennou, editor-in-chief of the political service at Le Figaro, on Sunday May 21 after his disabled niece was refused access on Saturday evening to the Cannes screening of the latest Scorsese. Reason for refusal: Leah was wearing sneakers. "However, because of her disability, she can only wear sneakers...", adds the journalist in his post. For its part, the Hospitality service, one of whose missions is to welcome people with reduced mobility (PRM), pleads human error.

"I got Leah an invitation to the opening ceremony, but that night for Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, I couldn't get a seat for her," says the service manager. dedicated to PMR. “I know Leah well, she often comes to see me in my office, and things have always gone well with her,” she explains. Leah therefore goes to the Last Minute counter. As a person with a disability, the young woman has priority. “Leah did not warn me that she was trying it at the Last Minute counter, otherwise I would have warned them or accompanied them”.

It is here that the young actress presents herself with her badge on which a small sticker indicates that she is PMR. “You can't go because you're wearing sneakers,” the receptionist allegedly announced to Leah. The young woman then tried to explain to him that she could not wear other shoes because of her disability. But the receptionist doesn't want to hear anything, she won't come back. “I think that in the rush, he made a mistake and focused on the dress code,” explains the manager of the Cannes festival's Hospitality department.

On the Cannes red carpet, dress requirements are very strict: tuxedo for men; long dress and elegant shoes for women; As for sneakers, they are strictly prohibited. A sprain in the locker room is however possible for a person with a disability, we are told.

Red carpet rules are proving outdated, but not everyone can afford to break the rules. In 2018, Kristen Stewart had already hit the headlines when she took off her pair of Louboutin stiletto heels just before going up the stairs. This year, Jennifer Lawrence has also bypassed the strict protocol of the Cannes Film Festival. At her feet, to go with her red Dior dress, the American actress opted for flip flops. More and more women are wearing pants like Emmanuelle Béart, during the opening ceremony on May 17.

Leah deplores the attitude of the security guard. "It's discrimination against people with disabilities. At one point, I told myself that I had to tell the truth. Disabled people can't go to see movies... It's no longer possible. The Hospitality service was great with me, we are a lot of people going to Cannes, there are only six seats per film for the disabled. I was told that the Cannes Film Festival was going to call me. I'm waiting, ”she confided to Nice-Matin on Sunday. The head of the festival's Hospitality department assures her that she had Leah on the phone the day after the screening.