Greta Gerwig propelled president of the jury of the 77th Cannes Film Festival

It's Christmas before its time, a gift for movie buffs. We know the name of the future president of the jury of the Cannes Film Festival, which will be held from May 14 to 25, 2024. She is a president. Greta Gerwig is the lucky one. The 40-year-old American actress, screenwriter and director does not hide her joy, if we are to believe the press release published by the festival. “I deeply love films,” says Greta Gerwig. I like doing them, I like going to see them, I like talking about them for hours. As a film buff, Cannes has always been for me the pinnacle of what the universal language of films can represent. Putting myself in a state of vulnerability, sitting inside a dark room full of strangers to watch a new film, is my favorite thing. I am overwhelmed, enthusiastic and humbled to become President of the Jury of the Cannes Film Festival. I can’t wait to see what journeys await us! » The Cannes feast should satisfy her.

Also read: Greta Gerwig: “My film Barbie is humanist before being feminist”

In recent years, we had to wait until spring to find out the president of the Cannes jury. The fault lies in increasingly tight schedules for “talents”, solicited by TV series and less and less available to honor this prestigious position. At least that was the explanation put forward by the general delegate of the festival, Thierry Frémaux. This time, Frémaux took the lead, riding on the global success of Barbie, feminist satire and summer blockbuster, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. He anticipates an awards season in Hollywood, from which Greta Gerwig should emerge even a little taller.

After three male jury presidents (Spike Lee, Vincent Lindon, Ruben Ostlünd), Greta Gerwig ticks all the boxes: woman, filmmaker, young, talented, successful. Before Barbie, Greta Gerwig was the director of noted films, each time expanding her audience. Lady Bird and The Four Daughters of Doctor March earned him Oscar nominations and critical acclaim. Even before then, Greta Gerwig was the muse of American independent cinema, in particular of her companion and accomplice, Noah Baumbach. Under his direction, she shot several feature films. Greenberg, with Ben Stiller, the very beautiful Frances Ha, portrait of a bohemian dancer in a black and white New York, Mistress America and White Noise. She also plays under the direction of Woody Allen (To Rome with Love), Barry Levinson (In all humility, with Al Pacino) or Pablo Larrain (Jackie).

Greta Gerwig becomes the first American filmmaker to take on the role of president of the jury at Cannes and the second director, after Jane Campion in 2014. Sky is the limit.