Spike Lee Makes Appearance As Cannes Jury President

As the first Black president of the Cannes jury for the Cannes Film Festival, Spike Lee is making history!

During an appearance in the South of France on Tuesday afternoon (July 6), the groundbreaking director reflected on attending several Cannes Film Festivals, dating back to 1986 when his first film, She’s Gotta Have It, debuted at the festival, Variety reports. 

“One of my most memorable Cannes had nothing to do with film,” Lee said. “It was back in the 1990s, when the New York Knicks were good. We were in the NBA finals. I flew from Nice to New York for a game and came back.” He paused. “The Knicks lost that game.”

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Lee also looked back on his film “Do the Right Thing” and how the Black Lives Matter movement is connected in some way. 

“A couple weeks ago was the 32nd anniversary of the film,” Lee continued. “I wrote it in 1988. When you see brother Eric Garner, when you see king George Floyd murdered, lynched; I think of Radio Raheem. And you think and hope that 30 m****r-f*****g years later, Black people would stop being hunted down like animals. So, I’m glad to be here, though.”

The 74th annual Cannes Film Festival is from July 6 – July 17.