She was the most eagerly awaited guest at the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival, but Barbra Streisand, 84, will not be able to make the tr
She was the most eagerly awaited guest at the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival, but Barbra Streisand, 84, will not be able to make the trip to receive this year’s honorary Palme d’Or in person due to health problems. The singer released a statement on Sunday:
“On the advice of my doctors, as I continue recovering from a knee injury, I am sadly unable to attend the Festival de Cannes this year…But I am deeply honored to receive the Honorary Palme d’or and had so been looking forward to celebrating the remarkable films of the 79th edition. I was also very much looking forward to spending time with colleagues whom I so admire—and, of course, returning to France, a place I have always loved. While I regret that I can’t be there in person, I want to extend my warmest congratulations to all of the filmmakers from around the world whose extraordinary talent and creative vision are being celebrated this year. My heartfelt thanks to the Festival, and to everyone who continues to support and champion the art of cinema.”
Streisand’s absence does not compromise the tribute that will be paid to her on Saturday evening, as the festival will still go forward with it. “Iris Knobloch, Thierry Frémaux, and the entire Festival team send Barbra Streisand their warmest wishes for a prompt recovery,” the press release accompanying her statement says. In the text announcing the award, Frémaux, the festival’s General Delegate, described Streisand as “the legendary synthesis between Broadway and Hollywood, between the music hall stage and the big screen.” Knobloch, the festival’s president, hailed a “consummate creator and courageous citizen, whose example stands the test of time and continues to inspire.”
Streisand is part of a prestigious circle of artists of such excellence that they have achieved “EGOT” status, winning the major awards for television, music, film, and theater. In fact, the figures are even more staggering: five Emmys, eight Grammys, two Oscars (the first of which she won at just 26, in 1968, for her first major film role in Funny Girl), and a Tony. The heroine of A Star is Born (1976), Hello Dolly! (1969), and Our Finest Years (1973) was also the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1977 for “Evergreen,” the cult song from the soundtrack of A Star is Born.
The first honorary Palme d’Or of the 79th Cannes Film Festival went to director Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, at the opening ceremony last week. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on Saturday.
Originally published in Vanity Fair France.
COMMENTS