Cannes Film Festival: huge blunder by Spike Lee, who unveils the Palme d'Or ahead of time

"The film that wins the Palme d'Or is

" ... This little phrase long awaited by the filmmakers gathered on the Croisette for ten days was to be the apotheosis of the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival.

But Spike Lee, the president of the jury this year, decided otherwise.

In a moment of confusion, when the jury had settled on stage only a few moments earlier, the director revealed the name of the film awarded the Palme d'Or, taking the audience by surprise.

We came close to disaster and a somewhat premature announcement of the Palme d'Or 😱 # Cannes2021 pic.twitter.com/8uBfYl2orI

- CANAL + (@canalplus) July 17, 2021

The sequence risks becoming a classic of blooper.

Actress Doria Tillier, mistress of ceremonies, asks Spike Lee to announce the first prize of the evening.

Seeming lost, the president of the jury hesitates for a moment, then gets up to speak… and says the name of the film “Titanium”.

Oops.

Doria Tillier shouts "wait" to him so that he stops there, while Mélanie Laurent, the actress member of the jury, puts her hand on his arm.

A very funny moment of hesitation follows (if your name is not Spike Lee), his comrades explaining his blunder, Tahar Rahim going so far as to take him in his arms.

A few tens of minutes later, not without having in the meantime almost made a new blunder, Spike Lee was finally able to pronounce the name of the winner of the Palme d'Or, Julia Ducournau, awarded for "Titanium". No surprise to anyone. This blunder is reminiscent of the Oscars mess in 2017, when the film "La La Land" was mistakenly announced as a winner by Faye Dunaway.