> Thirty-five years after Ridley Scott’s movie premiered in Cannes on May 20, 1991, *Thelma & Louise* are back as heroines on the official poster.
> These two unforgettable fighters turned the tables and shattered a few gender stereotypes, both societal and cinematic; they embodied absolute freedom and unwavering friendship; they showed the way to emancipation when it becomes vital. Remembering this today means celebrating the road already covered, without overlooking what still remains ahead.
> In a white tank top and a nonchalant pose, Louise locks eyes with us and challenges us with her gaze. With a revolver in the back pocket of her jeans, Thelma scans the horizon from behind her sunglasses. Both women sit proudly in a 1966 Ford Thunderbird convertible. Under the Arkansas sun, in a deserted America, they hit the road, they escape, they flee—from life, from society, from the men who mistreat them—to forge their own path.
> Themes that were groundbreaking in 1991 run through *Thelma & Louise* and still resonate powerfully today. To embody them, the Festival de Cannes has chosen this black-and-white still from the set of a colorful film that celebrates life and the timeless struggles for the freedom to be oneself.
> In 1977, in Competition in Cannes already with his very first film, *The Duellists*, Ridley Scott won Jury Prize for Best Debut Film. In 1991, for his seventh movie — written by newcomer Callie Khouri (1992 Oscar and Golden Globes) and produced by Mimi Polk Gitlin —, the British filmmaker who had become one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers (*Alien, Blade Runner*, before *Gladiator* and many more to come), chose to overturn the conventions of the road movie, a male film genre, to shoot a female version, telling the story of a breathless epic that turns into a one-way escape — reclaiming ownership of their bodies and desires came at a heavy price for the two heroines.
> Upon its release in the United States, this female *Easy Rider* sparked debate and controversy. But success was undeniable. Like a liberating detonation, Ridley Scott’s transgressive film marked a milestone in the history of the representation of women in cinema. It quickly became a generational classic and is now a cult favorite. Thanks to a stunning duo of actresses reminiscent of the Redford-Newman pairing in *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* — , the film is an ode to women’s friendship, set against the wild and majestic landscapes of the Midwest filmed in the style of a Western, with a soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Two phenomenal actresses, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, pour their hearts and souls into their characters, which have become iconic owing to the intensity of their performances.
> Thirty-five years ago, the two protagonists of cinema’s first female and feminist road movie chose to take the plunge, carried by a wind of liberation blowing at their backs. They became immortal icons. Today, they confront us; and observe their own legacy.
southernfirefly13 on
White Lotus season 4 is filming at Cannes!
Comic_Book_Reader on
Fun fact: Thelma & Louise was the closing movie in 1991, premiering just a few days before its general release in the U.S.
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[The statement from Cannes:](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/thelma-louise-geena-susan-heroines-of-the-official-poster-of-the-79th-festival-de-cannes/)
> Thirty-five years after Ridley Scott’s movie premiered in Cannes on May 20, 1991, *Thelma & Louise* are back as heroines on the official poster.
> These two unforgettable fighters turned the tables and shattered a few gender stereotypes, both societal and cinematic; they embodied absolute freedom and unwavering friendship; they showed the way to emancipation when it becomes vital. Remembering this today means celebrating the road already covered, without overlooking what still remains ahead.
> In a white tank top and a nonchalant pose, Louise locks eyes with us and challenges us with her gaze. With a revolver in the back pocket of her jeans, Thelma scans the horizon from behind her sunglasses. Both women sit proudly in a 1966 Ford Thunderbird convertible. Under the Arkansas sun, in a deserted America, they hit the road, they escape, they flee—from life, from society, from the men who mistreat them—to forge their own path.
> Themes that were groundbreaking in 1991 run through *Thelma & Louise* and still resonate powerfully today. To embody them, the Festival de Cannes has chosen this black-and-white still from the set of a colorful film that celebrates life and the timeless struggles for the freedom to be oneself.
> In 1977, in Competition in Cannes already with his very first film, *The Duellists*, Ridley Scott won Jury Prize for Best Debut Film. In 1991, for his seventh movie — written by newcomer Callie Khouri (1992 Oscar and Golden Globes) and produced by Mimi Polk Gitlin —, the British filmmaker who had become one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers (*Alien, Blade Runner*, before *Gladiator* and many more to come), chose to overturn the conventions of the road movie, a male film genre, to shoot a female version, telling the story of a breathless epic that turns into a one-way escape — reclaiming ownership of their bodies and desires came at a heavy price for the two heroines.
> Upon its release in the United States, this female *Easy Rider* sparked debate and controversy. But success was undeniable. Like a liberating detonation, Ridley Scott’s transgressive film marked a milestone in the history of the representation of women in cinema. It quickly became a generational classic and is now a cult favorite. Thanks to a stunning duo of actresses reminiscent of the Redford-Newman pairing in *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* — , the film is an ode to women’s friendship, set against the wild and majestic landscapes of the Midwest filmed in the style of a Western, with a soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Two phenomenal actresses, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, pour their hearts and souls into their characters, which have become iconic owing to the intensity of their performances.
> Thirty-five years ago, the two protagonists of cinema’s first female and feminist road movie chose to take the plunge, carried by a wind of liberation blowing at their backs. They became immortal icons. Today, they confront us; and observe their own legacy.
White Lotus season 4 is filming at Cannes!
Fun fact: Thelma & Louise was the closing movie in 1991, premiering just a few days before its general release in the U.S.