London: Veteran actor Meryl Streep will receive the honorary Palme d’Or at the opening ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 14, the organisers have said. She will also be the guest of honour at the ceremony, which will take place on the stage of the Grand Theatre Lumiere on May 14. Meryl will kick off the upcoming edition with the awards list given by the jury president, Greta Gerwig.
Meryl has been at Cannes only once before — though she did win best actress that year — in 1989’s A Cry in the Dark. She said in a statement, “I am immeasurably honoured to receive the news of this prestigious award.”
She also added, “To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking. To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honoured is humbling and thrilling in equal part. I so look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May.”
“Because she has spanned almost 50 years of cinema and embodied countless masterpieces, Meryl Streep is part of our collective imagination, our shared love of cinema,” the festival organisers said in the statement.
