A surprise appearance on the opening night sets the tone for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes, the world’s biggest film event, bringing together huge festival and market crowds, was cancelled in 2020 and pushed back to July in 2021 to deal with COVID-19 concerns, but at the opening night of the 75the edition the mask-free red carpet suggested COVID-19 was a distant memory.

Flooded with French stars and industry figures, the parade featured the stars of opening film Final Cut, Romain Duris and Bérénice Bejo, as well as jury president Vincent Lindon — a veteran French actor who starred in Julia Ducournau’s last year’s Palme d’Or-winning Titane—and the other notable jurors Asghar Farhadi (A Hero), Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World), British actor-turned-director Rebecca Hall (Passing), American director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter) and Swedish actor Noomi Rapace (Lamb), rounding out the A-list set were Oscar winner Julianne Moore, Eva Longoria and No Time to Die star Lashana Lynch.

The mood might have been more celebratory had it not been for the war in Ukraine and the biggest star turn of the evening was reserved for Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who appeared on live on screen in front of the audience of the Gran theatre Lumiere. In a moving speech he stated: “I am sure dictators will lose” and ‘we will win this war. Glory to Ukraine,” adding "We need a new Chaplin who will demonstrate that the cinema of our time is not silent. Today, the cinema is not silent. Remember these words. ... The power they've taken from the people will be returned to the people.".

Zalensky’s appeal prompted reflection and set the tone FOR this year’s festival. It felt appropriate when American actor Forest Whitaker received an honorary Palme d'Or lifetime achievement award. A familiar face at the festival, Whitaker said in a statement: “It’s always a privilege to return to this beautiful festival to both screen my own work, and to be inspired by many of the world’s greatest artists — and I feel incredibly honoured to be celebrated as part of the festival’s momentous 75th anniversary.”

The opening film—Michel Hazanavicius’s Final Cut—seemed an afterthought. A tense, egregiously overlong remake of a Japanese horror cheapie. There have been worse first night films, though nothing immediately comes to mind.