As Cannes Kicks Off, Jury President Targets Trump, Netflix

The 72nd Cannes Film Festival kicked off Tuesday—and jury president Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu had more on his mind than entertainment. The Mexican director slammed populist leaders like President Trump and warned that "ignorance" on issues like immigration could lead to another world war, the BBC reports. "The world is melting and these guys are basically ruling with rage and anger and lies and they are basically writing fiction and making people believe those are real things and facts," he said. The Birdman director also addressed Netflix, which is boycotting the festival over a rule barring films that weren't released in theaters, the Guardian reports.

"Cinema was born to be experienced communally," not on a phone or an iPad, Itarritu said. "France is an exception in that they protect that. This is one of the last spaces where we can experience these films around the world." He praised the streaming service, however, for funding so many projects, Variety reports. Iñarritu and other jury members spoke at a press conference ahead of the premiere of The Dead Don't Die, a zombie horror-comedy from Jim Jarmusch starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Tilda Swinton. The BBC reports that one of the biggest laughs during the event came when "Murray appeared to briefly nod off during a meandering pre-screening speech by French comedian Edouard Baer."