at Lumière

PostED ON 13.10.2025

Sean Penn receives a big surprise: an Honorary Lumière Award!

Sean Penn was at the Halle Tony Garnier at 3 pm as planned to introduce Into the Wild. ‘My biggest fear was that the theatre would be empty for this screening. But by turning out in such large numbers, you’ve transformed that fear into a wonderful dream. Thank you for that!’ The actor-director then recounted the origin of this film, which holds a special place in his career. ‘At that time, I’d seen the photo on the cover of the book. I devoured it and fought to obtain the rights.’ It turned out to be a struggle. ‘The author’s mother called me. She had dreamt that her late son had told her not to agree to grant me the rights. Ten years later, the family finally gave me their consent.‘ At the end of the discussion, Gad Elmaleh joined Sean Penn on stage   to present him with an Honorary Lumière Award, which was completely unexpected. ‘It’s audiences like you who are the protectors of cinema,’ the director of Into the Wild concluded.

Laura Lépine

© Loic Benoit