Jury president Spike Lee turns Cannes Festival poster boy

The Cannes Film Festival paid tribute Thursday to jury president Spike Lee by putting the acclaimed US director's image in his iconic role in his debut film, "She's Gotta Have It" on its 74th festival poster.

The poster features Spike Lee in his role as Mars Blackmon in the 1986 hit, "She's Gotta Have It". On his cap, the Nike swoosh is replaced by the Cannes Film Festival's palm leaf logo, with Lee seemingly looking up at the logo with his characteristic quizzical gaze.

In a statement in French, the festival organisers eloquently described the reasons for their choice.

"For the personal view which he has shared with us since his very first feature, shot in black and while in the heat of the summer of 1985, he was already shaking up cinema by imposing, even back then, his ground-breaking style, embedded in urban and pop culture," the statement noted.

The festival, which is scheduled to take place from July 6 to 17, has yet to announce the film that will be screened during the "last session" after the award ceremony, as well as the composition of the jury, chaired by Lee.

A maverick filmmaker and the first black artist to hold that position, Spike Lee won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2018 with "Blackkklansman," about a black policeman infiltrated into the Ku Klux Klan. The film then earned him the very first Oscar of his career.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)