Honorary Palme d’Or, standing ovation and emotion: the 2023 Cannes Film Festival greeted Harrison Ford this Thursday, May 18 on the Croisette, as part of the screening of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”.
“When someone gives you so much joy, you have to know how to reciprocate…” It is with these words, certainly shared by all the (lucky) people present this Thursday evening at the Grand Théâtre Lumière at the Cannes Film Festival, that General Delegate Thierry Frémaux called Harrison Ford on stage, to salute his impact and his place “in American cinema and cinema in general.”
Borde-Jacovides-Moreau / Bestimage
Harrison Ford on stage at the Palais des Festivals
Present on the Croisette to unveil Indiana Jones and the dial of destiny Out of Competition, the American star discovered a tribute montage summarizing his impressive career before receiving a surprise Palme d’Or d’Honneur from the hands of the new President of the protest, Iris Knobloch.
From the top of his 80 years, almost six decades of career, countless cult roles including Indiana Jones and Han Solo, Harrison Ford said to himself “deeply touched and moved” facing the standing ovation of the festival-goers, and this major trophy. Remember that the actor has never received an Oscar, but only honorary awards from the Caesars, Golden Globes, CinemaCon or the American Film Institute. And now the biggest film festival.
Borde-Jacovides-Moreau / Bestimage
Harrison Ford receives an Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes
Between emotion, humility, shyness and the tongue-in-cheek humor that we know from him, Harrison Ford spoke for a few minutes: “They say when you’re about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes… And I just saw my life flash by now! At least a beautiful part of my life. Not my whole life My life has been shaped by my beloved wife, who has supported my passion and my dreams and I am grateful to her.”
“You too I love you”
“And you know, you too I love you… Thank you. You gave purpose and meaning to my life. (…) I am very moved by this tribute. But I have a film to see. And it’s going to be played right behind me. So I’m going to slip away. Thank you again for this huge honor.”
After the screening, Harrison Ford was overwhelmed with emotion. With misty eyes, he enjoyed a standing ovation for several minutes from the Cannes public. A circle closed, certainly, he who had been discovered and supported in particular by Agnès Varda and Jacques Demy at the end of the 1960s (they wanted to give him the main role of Model Shop but a more experienced actor had been imposed by the studio). Its place is not yet in a (cinema) museum, but definitely in the hearts of viewers.