A knee injury will keep Barbra Streisand from attending the Cannes Film Festival’s closing ceremony and accepting an honorary Palme d’Or for her life’s work in person, the star announced Sunday.
She and “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson had bookended the festival with their respective honorary Palme d’Or awards on the first and last days of the international festival showcasing new films. Mid-festival, John Travolta was brought nearly to tears upon receiving a surprise Palme d’Or. The three were slated to appear together at the closing ceremony next Saturday, where Streisand would have officially received hers.
“On the advice of my doctors, as I continue recovering from a knee injury, I am sadly unable to attend the Festival de Cannes this year,” Streisand said Sunday in a statement released via the festival. “But I am deeply honored to receive the Honorary Palme d’Or and had so been looking forward to celebrating the remarkable films of the 79th edition.”
She said she was also disappointed to miss “spending time with colleagues whom I so admire — and, of course, returning to France, a place I have always loved.”
Streisand will still be honored at the festival as planned, albeit in absentia, Cannes said in a statement. In announcing the award recipient initially, Cannes lauded “the world-renowned actress, director, producer, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter” as an “iconic artist and embodiment of the American dream in all its original splendor.”
Cannes cited her 19 roles and three directorial credits, her two Oscars, one for leading in “Funny Girl” in 1968 and a second for “Evergreen” as Best Original Song in 1977. She was also the first woman to win a Golden Globe for Best Director, one of 11 Golden Globes she has won in all. Then there were the 37 albums, 13 soundtracks, 10 Grammy Awards and other record-breaking firsts the festival cited.
“Barbra Streisand has reached the pinnacle of the entertainment industry like no one before her,” Cannes said. “But this staggering record pales in comparison to her influence on pop culture in the second half of the 20th century.”
The festival called her a “role model for all women,” citing her refusal to let adverse circumstances hold her back.
“This year, we were keen to pay tribute to an artist who made her mark through the power of her art and her uncompromising pursuit of freedom,” festival president Iris Knobloch said in a statement. “As a woman, I am delighted to be able to express our admiration for this consummate creator and courageous citizen, whose example stands the test of time and continues to inspire.”