and a great surprise!
 

PostED on 13.10.2024

The evening kicked off with the traditional red-carpet parade of stars of the movie world, including Denis Ménochet, Anne Le Ny, Virginie Ledoyen, Lambert Wilson, Alexandra Lamy, Denis Podalydès, Monica Bellucci accompanied by Tim Burton, laureate of the 2022 Lumière Award, and guests of honour Costa-Gavras, Vanessa Paradis, Benicio Del Toro and Giuseppe Tornatore. 

Vanessa Paradis and Michèle Ray-Gavras © Lea Rener

Homage was paid to Michel Blanc, with everyone singing in unison, ‘Quand te reverrai-je pays merveilleux’ during a joyful karaoke session. A moment of remembrance.

Since no opening ceremony is complete without music, Nicolas Gourbeix (on violin) and Sylvaine Carlier (on piano) from the Opera of Lyon performed the melancholy score of Giuseppe Tornatore's film Cinema Paradiso... Then with sadness in the air, we saluted the memory of Aurélien Ferenczi, editor-in-chief of the Lumière daily newspaper, who passed away very recently... The ceremony continued, featuring the Fanfare des Essoufflés and a parade of some 700 volunteers. As tradition dictates, it was time to screen some ‘Lumière vues’, films whose restoration has been ongoing with the support of the CNC. Keep in mind that there are 2,000 Lumière films!

All the guests lined up on stage, then Benicio Del Toro and Tim Burton pronounced, in French, the now familiar refrain, “Nous déclarons Lumière 2024, le festival de cinéma de Lyon et de la métropole de Lyon, OUVERT!” (“We declare Lumière 2024, the Film Festival of Lyon and Metropolitan Lyon, OPEN!”). To ensure a more cohesive performance, Denis Podalydès volunteered to lead the orchestra of guests so they could pronounce the phrase together ‘correctly’!

“We declare Lumière 2024... OPEN!” © J-L Mège

Then, suddenly: “Tonight, we have decided to present a special Lumière Award to Costa-Gavras!” Tim Burton handed him the prize, saying, “It is a real honour to give you this award”.

Tim Burton presenting a special Lumière Award to Costa-Gavras © J-L Mège

Surprised and moved, the French-Greek filmmaker received the exceptional distinction and commented, “Thank you for all this. I used to come here very often and attend these extraordinary evenings, staying in the back over there, happy, with my wife Michèle. Tonight, I am honoured and overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed because you've given me this wonderful welcome. You’re presenting me with this award. I've always thought it was appropriate to bestow it on others. Bertrand Tavernier and I were friends, we often enjoyed talking about cinema, and he was extremely eloquent about it. When we heard in Paris that a festival would be held in Lyon, we thought nobody would go. But you did it. You succeeded. My feeling is that this is the best ‘people’s’ festival in the world, at least in France, and certainly in Europe. I will keep this prize in my heart, and in the hearts of my family too, of Michèle, my partner of 60 years. In a certain sense, she is my guide and the person I trust the most. Thank you all. Have a great festival!”

© Lea Rener

Following the conclusion of this opening ceremony celebrating the festival's 15th anniversary, the screening of A Lover’s Return, a magnificent film long absent from the big screen, was ready to get underway. 

  Fanny Bellocq