Did you know that the Cannes Film Festival even had an opening ceremony? I did not. Apparently, though, it's a staple of the festival, which began today. At the ceremony, noted Beatles obsessive Peter Jackson received the Honorary Palme d’Or (Barbra Streisand is this year's other recipient). The filmmaker sat at the side of the stage, awkwardly singing along while Oklou and Theodora paid tribute by covering "Get Back," the song that gave Jackson's massive 2021 Beatles documentary its title. Jackson's Lord Of The Rings star Elijah Wood presented the honor.
You probably already know Oklou. The French artist's 2025 album Choke Enough was one of the best things that came out last year. This year she is one of the Cannes International Critics' Week jury members. You might not know the French-Congolese artist Theodora, but global pop heads have marked her as one to watch. With Oklou on guitar, the two of them sang a version of "Get Back" that was somehow both stripped-down and electronic. I like the cool deadpan and the '70s-style light show. The shots of Peter Jackson and host Eye Haïdara watching from the side of the stage are certainly distracting, but they kind of add to the weird continental charm of this entire enterprise. Watch it below.
