Spike Lee Makes History With New Gig

He'll be first black filmmaker to head Cannes jury
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 14, 2020 7:23 AM CST
Spike Lee Makes History With New Gig
In this Dec. 16, 2019 file photo, Spike Lee arrives at the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in Los Angeles.   (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Spike Lee will become the first black filmmaker to head the Cannes Film Festival jury this spring. "I'm honored to be the first person of the African diaspora (USA) to be named president of the Cannes jury and of a main film festival," which happens to be "the most important film festival in the world," Lee said in a statement, per Deadline, adding he was "shocked, happy, surprised and proud all at the same time." Seven of the director's films have premiered at Cannes, including 2018's BlacKkKlansman, which received a standing ovation.

"You could easily say Cannes changed the trajectory of who I became in world cinema," said Lee, who will also receive the festival's highest prize, the Palme d'Or for lifetime achievement. Festival heads said 62-year-old Lee had "brought the questions and contentious issues of the times to contemporary cinema" and his "perspective is more valuable than ever." The BBC notes that French actress Isabelle Adjani was the first person of African descent to lead the jury in 1997. Her father hailed from Algeria. (More Spike Lee stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X