Robert De Niro: “Donald Trump is the philistine president of the United States”

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Robert De Niro picked up the Palme d’Or of honour at Cannes and did so with a call to react and do so now because US President Donald Trump’s attacks on cinema “are unacceptable”.

The “philistine president of the United States” began by cutting aid for art, human rights and education, recalled De Niro, who at no time mentioned Trump’s name. “And now he wants to impose a 100 percent tariff on films produced outside the United States.”

“Creativity is priceless (…) their attacks are unacceptable,” said the veteran actor, who believes that this is not just a problem in his country, but a global situation and therefore called for a reaction, “today, without violence and with determination.”

Because art is democratic, inclusive and brings people together, it embraces diversity and that is why it is a threat. “We are a threat to the autocrats and fascists of this world,” De Niro said, with the entire audience in Cannes’ Grand Theâtre Lumiêre standing.

An emotional speech, in which he wanted to make it clear that Americans are known “for being democratic and open to the world”, for fighting for democracy, which they do not consider as something taken for granted. De Niro made a call to participate in the elections, because voting “is very important.”

And he closed his speech with a heartfelt tribute to the motto of the French Revolution of 1789: “to liberty, equality and fraternity”. Several ovations interrupted De Niro’s words, and he received his Palme d’Or from Leonardo DiCaprio while several minutes of applause brought him almost to tears.

“Thank you, Leo, for being here with me and for me,” said De Niro, who recalled that the first time he participated in the Cannes Film Festival was in 1973 with ‘Mean Streets’ and the last 50 years later with ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, also by Marty, as he calls the director. In between, he returned to Cannes as a film buff and to present other films by Bernardo Bertolucci, Barry Levinson and Sergio Leone, as well as having been president of the jury. “This is my community,” he said.

That’s why they took inspiration from Cannes to set up the Tribeca Festival, created in 2002 to bring New Yorkers together after the 9/11 attacks a year earlier.

A few words that the actor spoke after a video in which images of many of his films appeared – from ‘Taxi Driver’ to ‘The Mission’, ‘Casino’ or ‘Raging Bull’ – and after some emotional words from DiCaprio.

“De Niro’s legacy is not just the roles he has played, but also how he has treated the characters as a transformation, we all admire him. He has not been another great actor, he has been THE ACTOR,” said DiCaprio, who acknowledged that his life changed when at the age of only 15 he met De Niro in ‘This Boy’s Life’ (1993).

“Bob doesn’t say many things but when he speaks we listen,” he said, “whether it’s about family or friends, his commitment to democracy or his support for cinema. He’s there, he’s present.” And he recalled when his father made him watch De Niro’s first films, in which he was fascinated by his calmness, by “that state of mind that he expresses in silence,” something that taught him that “the moments without words are sometimes the strongest.”

He also provoked laughter when he addressed those present. “He has taught a whole generation how to look in the mirror and how to talk. Don’t tell me you haven’t done it. There is no one more deserving of a Palme d’Or than him,” he said.

This news was originally published on this post .

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