Cannes Film Festival: Raul Peck Critiques America’s Current State
Every time Raul Peck looks around, he perceives an America under siege by what he describes as dark forces fueled by the dictatorship of former President Donald Trump. Seriously, he does.
At the 78th Cannes Film Festival on Monday, the Haitian filmmaker expressed his concerns amidst an elite gathering soaking in the sunny Cote d’Azur atmosphere, adding his voice to the growing criticism of Trump and an overall sense of despair.
Robert De Niro, who has been vocal against Trump since his presidency began, described him as the “American Philistine President.” It seems like De Niro, despite being a well-established actor, has a company now.
Peck, renowned for his Emmy-winning documentary I’m Not Your Negro, which focuses on American writer James Baldwin, shared deeper anxieties about the future of the United States. He noted:
All signs indicate that every segment of society is facing attack. I really hope Americans realize they’re in an authoritarian regime.
Journalism, justice, truth—all the foundations of a democratic society are under assault.
He mentioned that George Orwell had foreseen such circumstances in 1984 and Animal Farm, and now it appears life is following that narrative.
Peck quoted a sentiment often heard, “They came for their neighbors, but what’s it to me? This won’t affect Harvard or Columbia.” He emphasized the alarming nature of such rationalizations, indicating how dictatorships gradually embed themselves in society.
In his remarks to AFP, he drew parallels between the current treatment of scholars in the U.S. and the thought police depicted in Orwell’s final works.
Peck raised a thought-provoking question: “When we’re too scared to speak up in our workplaces, schools, or even in public, what does that signify?”
The filmmaker, previously a cultural minister under Haitian Prime Minister Rosie Smaas before leaving in 1997 due to escalating violence, has not shied away from criticizing Trump and his supporters in the past.
In a previous interview at the Joburg Film Festival, he labeled Trump and his followers as Nazis, arguing that the administration was filled with “crazy people” risking countless lives.
He likened the agenda of Trump’s administration to that of Hitler, pointing out documents like Project 2025 as proof of intentions that many dismissed as jokes. “It’s all laid out, and yet people really thought he was kidding. No, they mean it,” Peck stated.
As he reflected on the situation, he posed another question: “What are we going to do? It’s too late to escape this now.”
For a more in-depth interview with Peck at Cannes, you can explore further.
