Cate Blanchett's Cannes dress sparks an online debate
Image: AFP
Cate Blanchett's dress at the Cannes Film Festival sparked online debate, with some users interpreting the black, green, and light pink dress as a pro-Palestine statement.
Blanchett, a vocal critic of Israel's war on Gaza, wore a Haider Ackermann for Jean Paul Gaultier dress with a black front, green lining, and a light pink back that appeared white in some photographs. When posing for pictures, Blanchett displayed the green lining, leading some to believe it was a deliberate gesture.
When I grow up I want to become Cate Blanchett, and have the subtlety to think the carpet is already red, so I can just wear a black & white dress with green lining to make such a strong point. #cannes2024 pic.twitter.com/5OiJRBOZ5D
— Dr Zahira Jaser (@ZahiraJaser) May 21, 2024
"When I grow up I want to become Cate Blanchett, and have the subtlety to think the carpet is already red, so I can just wear a black and white dress with green lining to make such a strong point," academic Zahira Jaser said on social media platform X.
— Jua (@artsblanchett) May 21, 2024
"She is THE woman," said another user in a post that received 126,000 likes and over two million views.
Blanchett has previously spoken out against the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In October 2021, she was one of 55 signatories on an open letter calling for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. In November 2021, she called for a ceasefire before the European Parliament in her role as a goodwill ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency.
Some social media users criticized the praise Blanchett received. "This is not bravery, this is pageantry," one user said. "Actual bravery is being practiced by Palestinians in Palestine for generations." Others defended her, with political analyst Hafsa Halawa calling the dress choice "genius" and "undermining the censors using their own red carpet."
However, there has been no official confirmation from Blanchett if the dress was a political statement.