Australian actress and filmmaker Cate Blanchett made headlines on May 20 at the 2024 Cannes red carpet, not only for her fashion statement but also for how it reinforced her pre-established political stance on a serious humanitarian issue.
The Oscar-winning star attended Monday’s premiere of The Apprentice at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival wearing a black off-the-shoulder Jean Paul Gaultier dress by Haider Ackermann. As soon as netizens discussed the Colombian-French designer’s dress being somewhat color-blocked, the Internet immediately jumped to weigh in on her political fashion statement.
She paired her stunning outfit with a pearl chain worn below the neckline. This was his third collaboration with Francesca Amphitheaterof, Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton Watches and Jewellery.
Read this also ‘King Manipulator’: Diddy’s former security chief criticizes his ‘apology’ video, says he saw him ‘getting physical’ with Cassie
Did Cate Blanchett make a pro-Palestine statement on the Cannes red carpet?
The initially fashionable and minimalist choice, suitable for the red carpet, later revealed the anticipated layered subtext as Blanchett lifted up the trail of her dress, exposing its inner green layer. Although fans continue to speculate whether the back of her dress was white or a lighter shade of pink, many couldn’t ignore that the colors of her dress – black and green – stood out when seen against the backdrop of the red carpet , so solidarity with the Palestinians was visible. The cause reflects the dominant colors of the sovereign state – currently the subject of a simmering conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.
Although Kate has not intentionally addressed the issue of her choice of dress for the red carpet event with her pro-Palestine stance, she has clearly expressed her stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
As one of the actors associated with Artists4Ceasefire, a group of creators advocating a ceasefire in Gaza, he signed a letter addressed to US President Joe Biden calling for “immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel”. Demand was made.
Read this also Amal Clooney played key role in ICC arrest warrant for Israeli PM Netanyahu and Hamas leader Sinwar
In May 2016, she was announced as the Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. The official website of the UNHCR outlines that as the holder of the honored title, Blanchett supports a wide range of issues, such as “high-level advocacy through fundraising, meeting refugees in countries around the world” and “amplifying refugee voices.” and ensuring the human “stories behind the statistics are heard.”
In addition to supporting the cause through fashion at Cannes, she also revealed how taking on the role as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador “completely changed” her worldview. According to The Associated Press, Blanchett acknowledged that although some people may think she has a “white savior complex”, “interacting with refugees in the region” has “completely changed her perspective on the world.”
Another reason why many netizens harbored the solid belief that she deliberately chose that outfit for the internationally famous event is that, in November 2023, she advocated for Gaza in the European Parliament. On October 7, a month after Hamas attacked southern Israel and Israel carried out widespread bombing of Gaza, he urged the European Union to call for a ceasefire and stop targeting the unarmed Palestinian population.
As Goodwill Ambassador of the UNHCR, he addressed the EU Parliament: “I am not Syrian. I am not Ukrainian. I am not Yemeni. I am not an Afghani. I am not from South Sudan. I’m not from Israel or Palestine. I am not a politician. I am not even a pundit. But I am a witness.” He added, ”For the past few weeks, we have all been horrified to see the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza. The conflict has taken, and is still taking, the lives of thousands of innocent people.”
