The Olympic flame, unexpected star of the Cannes Film Festival – Libération

The organizers of the Cannes festival announced this Monday, May 13, that the Olympic flame will be present on the red carpet on Tuesday, May 21, carried by French Paralympic athlete Arnaud Assoumani.

Two events in one. Tuesday May 21, the Olympic flame will ascend the famous steps of the Cannes Film Festival, like the biggest cinema stars, the organizers of the cultural event announced this Monday May 13. “Paris 2024, in agreement with the Cannes town hall, offers the flame to the Festival on its red carpet,” they indicated in a press release, while the festival opens Tuesday and will end on May 25. The torch will be carried by the French Paralympic athlete, Arnaud Assoumani, long jump specialist.

That day, Mickaël Gamrasni’s documentary “Olympiques! La France des Jeux” will also be screened in the evening. According to the president of the Festival and its general delegate, Iris Knobloch and Thierry Frémaux, it must retrace “a century of participation in the Olympic Games, which have forever marked our collective memory”. Olympic and Paralympic champions like David Douillet, Guy Drut, Jean Galfione, Céline Gerny, Laura Flessel, Laure Manaudou and Cédric Nankin testify there, and will be present for the occasion at the Festival.

The Cannes Film Festival at the time of #Paris2024 🔥

Sports personalities and athletes will be the guests of an exceptional evening, Tuesday May 21, with the unique screening of the documentary: Olympics! – France of the Games, by Mickaël Gamrasni. In the presence of his most… pic.twitter.com/xMjV3hj1ZB

— Cannes Film Festival (@Festival_Cannes) May 13, 2024

A little unexpected detour through Cannes – she was only supposed to pass through on June 18 – in the intense tour de France of the torch relay which will end in mid-July, before the Olympic Games are held in Paris.