SPIKE LEE’S film about black police officer who infiltrated the KKK will be screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The screening will mark Lee’s return to La Croisette, the promenade on which the film festival takes place, after a twenty-year absence.
His film BlacKKKlansman tells the story of Ron Stallworth, the undercover policeman who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in 1978 and was the first black police officer in Colorado Springs. Stallworth’s infiltration of the KKK came about after he responded to a recruitment advert in a local newspaper.
The film will be produced by Get Out director Jordan Peele’s Moneypaw production company among others.
Filmmaker Matthew A Cherry, part of Monkeypaw productions, described the news as incredible.
He said: “Proud of director Spike Lee, producers Jordan Peele Win Rosenfeld and the rest of the team at Monkeypaw Productions. We’re going to Cannes!”
Incredible! Proud of director @spikelee [2], producers @jordanpeele [3] @winrosenfeld [4] and the rest of the team at @Monkeypaw [5] Productions. We’re going to Cannes! #BlacKkKlansman [6] #Cannes2018 [7] ???????????? https://t.co/HV0DsiWTvn [8]
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) April 12, 2018 [9]
BlacKKKlansman has been announced as one of the 18 productions competing for this year’s prestigious Palme d’Or award.
Denzel Washington’s son, John David Washington, plays Stallworth in Lee’s latest release, which will be out in cinemas later this year.
The production also features Girls and Star Wars actor Adam Driver, who plays the part of Stallworth’s partner, Topher Grace and Laura Harrier.
BlacKKKlansman will be out in cinemas in August and will be released to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Charlottesville protests in which far-right crowds marched through the streets and a protester was killed.
The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 8 to May 19.
The State Against Mandela and The Others, a film about Mandela’s landmark trial, by Nicolas Champeaux, Gilles Porte will be shown as one of the festival’s special screenings.
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