As the Cannes Film Festival takes center stage once again in 2026, jury president Park Chan-wook is already causing a stir with a strong political statement. The acclaimed director made it clear that he does not think art and politics should be separated. He further stated that cinema reflects the social and political realities of the time.

"I don’t think politics and art should be divided. I think it’s a strange concept to think that they conflict with each other. Just because a work of art has a political statement, it should not be considered an enemy of art,” Chan-wook told AFP on Tuesday, May 12. 

Park placed a contradiction to his statement as well, saying that at the same time, a film does not deserve to be ignored if it is not making an outward political statement. He asserted that art and politics do not need to be separated to begin with.

“Art and politics are not concepts that conflict with each other; as long as they are artistically expressed, they are valuable," the filmmaker said.  

He admitted that he was hugely moved as he made history by becoming the first South Korean head of the Cannes Film Festival jury. For context, in 2004, Chan-wook made his debut at the Cannes Film Festival. Now, after over two decades, he has joined the jury of the festival as president and follows in the footsteps of French star Juliette Binoche. 

Meanwhile, along with Park Chan-wook, Hollywood star Demi Moore also became one of the loudest voices defending artistic freedom at the Cannes Film Festival 2026. 

Demi Moore and Park Chan-wook defend free artistic expression at Cannes Film Festival 

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle actress Demi Moore opened the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival alongside Park Chan-wook. Joining him further, she did so with a series of careful and unbiased statements defending the role of politics in cinema. Moore has always been vocal about the need to be able to voice political opinions without backlash. 

During the press conference, when asked if politics would not harm a movie’s success, she said that she hoped so. Moore was later asked if she had concerns that political statements would be damaging for films. 

“I think part of art is about expression, so if we start censoring ourselves, then I think we shut down the very core of our creativity, which is, I think, where we can discover truth and answers,” pitched in The Substance's actress.

Moore’s statement went viral as well. Meanwhile, as Park Chan-wook serves as Cannes jury president, his remarks have already marked him as one of the most outspoken voices of this year’s festival. The famed filmmaker has sparked discussions that reach far beyond the red carpet by strongly asserting the ties between cinema, politics, and artistic freedom.

What do you think of Park Chan-wook's statement on art and politics at Cannes 2026? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Bias Sinha

Edited by

Adiba Nizami