The Cannes 2022 poster shows an individual climbing up the stairs, through the clouds, touching the number 75 – which denotes the current edition of the film festival. The design comes from Hartland Villa.
Festival de Cannes’ official website sets the tone, saying “The red carpet that leads up the steps to the hope of being in the limelight. A poetic celebration of the insuperable quest for expression and freedom. An upward journey to contemplate the past and move ahead towards the promise of a revival.”
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The poster is a reference to an iconic scene from ‘The Truman Show’, where the protagonist played by Jim Carrey reaches the end of the set, puts his hands to the clouds and begins the ascent towards the exit.
The festival seeks to take a leaf from the unforgettable Truman and take the “extreme nature of the world in its stride in order to grasp it again”. This includes climate crises, armed conflicts, and humanitarian disasters.
Amid such serious issues, the Cannes film festival seeks to remind people about 1939 and 1946, asserting that art and cinema are where society contemplates its renewal.
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However, the festival has vowed to remain true to its core principle, noting, “The purpose of the Festival International du Film, in a spirit of friendship and universal cooperation, is to reveal and showcase quality films in the interest of the evolution of the art of cinematography”.
Cannes 2022 organizers also explained the logic behind ‘The Truman Show’ reference, saying “Peter Weir and Andrew Niccol’s The Truman Show (1998) is a modern reflection of Plato’s cave and the decisive scene urges viewers to not only experience the border between reality and its representation but to ponder the power of fiction, between manipulation and catharsis”, and added, “Just as Truman escapes falsehood as he rises, the Festival, with its famous ascending red carpet, offers viewers the truth of the artists when they enter the theater.”
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‘The Truman Show’ focuses on a car salesman who is unaware of living in a world surrounded by actors, where every action becomes content of a daily soap opera to be consumed by millions. When Truman begins to suspect something amiss, his life changes.
The movie is distributed by the Paramount Network who are massively involved in the upcoming film festival, which will see the release of ‘Top Gun: Maverick‘ the Tom Cruise-starring sequel to ‘Top Gun’, a tale of bravery and aerial combat by a larger than life Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell.
Cannes 2022 runs from May 17 to 28.
