Spanish
Cannes (France).- Robert de Niro received this Tuesday the Honorary Palme d'Or of Cannes and did so with a call to react and do it now because the attacks of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, against cinema "are unacceptable".
"The Philistine president of the United States" began by cutting aid for the arts, human rights, and education, recalled De Niro, who at no point mentioned Trump's name. "And now he wants to impose a one hundred percent tariff on films produced outside the United States."
"Creativity is priceless (...) its attacks are unacceptable," stated the veteran actor, for whom it is not just a problem of his country, but a global situation and therefore he asked for a reaction, "today, without violence and with determination."
Because art is democratic, inclusive and unites people, it embraces diversity and that's why it's a threat. "We are a threat to the autocrats and fascists of this world," said De Niro, with the entire audience of the Grand Théâtre Lumiêre in Cannes 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 acquired.
De Niro called for participation in the elections, because the vote "is very important".
And he concluded 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, who received his Palme d'Or from the hands of 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 or Sergio Leone, as well as having been president of the jury. "This is my community," he stated.
That's why they were inspired by Cannes to establish the Tribeca Festival, created in 2002 to bring the people of New York together after the 9/11 attacks, a year earlier.
Some words that the actor said 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 Di Caprio.
"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," he stated.
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DiCaprio acknowledged that his life changed when, at just 15 years old, he met De Niro in 'This Boy's Life' (1993).
"Bob doesn't say much, but when he speaks we listen, whether it's about family or friends, his commitment to democracy or his support for cinema. He's there, present."
And he remembered when his father showed him the first De Niro 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".
It also drew laughter when he addressed the attendees. "He has taught an entire generation how to look in a mirror and how to speak. Don't tell me you haven't done it."
"No one deserves a Palme d'Or more than him," he declared.
