Kering honored American Golden Globe and Academy Award winner Viola Davis for their Women In Motion award on a magnificent Cannes night during the famed film festival. Davis’ we-have-to-do-something attitude toward diversity in movies is what got her noticed. The actress, who is a champion for minority producer, writer, and director possibilities, prioritizes diversity for people of color.
Francois Henri Pinault, Chairman of CEO of Keing, Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Fremaux, Executive Director of the Festival de Cannes, were also there, as was Carla Bruni, an Italian model and former French First Lady.
Julius Tennon, the First Lady actress’ husband was present. Davis drew attention to himself in an Alexander McQueen high lime and muted highlighter green pants suit. Speaking with the actress directly, she was overjoyed at the chance to discuss JuVee Productions, which she co-founded with her husband.
“It means an acknowledgement of my legacy, which is what I want to shift the narrative of women of color to. It’s no longer acceptable for us to be defined by men, defined by any other structure other than ourselves, and it became obvious to me as I was progression in my career that I had to be the change that I wanted to see, and that why we started this. I want to see black women for the beautiful complicated beings that they are.”
As the event began, Pinault spoke on the importance of women in film an their achievements, “I dream a dream that dreams back at me. Viola Davis is the embodiment of this vision.”
Davis has been in town for a week, speaking about her acting career as well as the production firm she and her husband founded.
“As a little chocolate girl that grew up in Central Falls, Rhode Island in abject poverty, with a certain level of poverty, I always wanted my life to matter. I wanted to leave this earth with a big fat hole in it and I felt the way to do that was to become an actress, but now that I’ve progressed in my career, what I’ve realized is that I want to elevate storytelling for people of color,” Davis said as the room was filled with lights.
Davis received a standing ovation after recalling how Cicely Tyson had influenced her.
“It’s just as impactful when I don’t see us, but I see us when when we are bus drivers- or women who live in challenging communities and have only one or two scenes in a movie, or women who become yet another best friend to our white women counterparts. I know that I know that I know we are human beings and that we are very complicated, and the power of art is that it knows no color. Because human beings, when they sit and watch art they want to feel less alone. And I want to play a part in making them feel that way.”
Anyone who follows Davis’ red carpet trends knows she frequently wears Alexander McQueen. Davis wore a white Alexander McQueen gown to the Oscars last year, and a yellow Alexander McQueen gown to the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Top Gun: Maverick.
“So as much as I love my Alexander McQueen, and I love Alexander McQueen, and the fabulous make up, I’m always so moved when people tell me that my work or my life meant something to them.”
David discusses the less enjoyable aspects of her childhood in her recently published autobiography, Finding Me. It immediately became a New York Times #1 bestseller after being written during the lockdown. She’s also starring as Michelle Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady series.
