This year, Tim Burton was honored in Lyon with the famous Lumière Award, which is given annually to a cinematic legend.
He joins a list of notable predecessors that includes Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar, and Jane Campion from the previous year.
Proof of the public’s adoration for the American director who has created some of cinema’s greatest masterpieces, from “Batman” to “Alice in Wonderland,” via “Edward Scissorhands” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
In Lyon, he was treated like a rock hero, notably during his visit to the Institut Lumière, where the Lumière brothers shot the first film in history, “La Sortie des Usines Lumière.”
Incredible energy and packed halls, such as the Halle With nearly 5,000 seats, Tony-Garnier was turned into the world’s largest indoor theater for Tim Burton Night.
In addition to the over 500 screenings during the festival, there were also masterclasses, such as the one given by Monica Bellucci, who spoke at length about her acting career and her most recent film, The Girl in the Fountain, which was dedicated to another film great, Anita Ekberg.
The Girl in the Fountain has its world premiere at the Lumière Festival, a perfect venue for a film that blends fact and fantasy, past and present.
“The Lyon Festival is a celebration of heritage. Young people are able to stay in touch with the past, with what has made and continues to make cinema and art so powerful, by viewing films that contain so many archival materials, historical films, and restored films “. Said Monica Bellucci.
During the Lumière Festival, there were numerous retrospectives, including that of the American filmmaker James Gray, who also brought his most recent picture, “Armageddon Time.”
The semi-autobiographical account of his upbringing in Queens, New York, where he encountered anti-Semitism, segregation, and social injustice.
James Gray is a difficult author who, despite the pressure exerted by major studios and platforms, manages to produce popular, personal films.
Tim Burton departed Lyon with stars in his eyes after the 14th Festival Lumière triumphed and received a standing ovation.