The Queer Palm, honoring cinematic works addressing sexual and gender diversity at the Cannes Film Festival since 2010, recently revealed the poster for its 2024 edition. This year, under the presidency of Lukas Dhont, the jury chose to spotlight the captivating work of Italian photographer Sandra Lazzarini.
Sandra Lazzarini, a self-taught photographer, crafts her shots with a particular tenderness, capturing the imprint of time on female bodies in pastel tones that underline softness and kindness. The poster for the 2024 Queer Palm, taken from her series entitled "Bianca," showcases the skin of an elderly woman adorned with rhinestones, revealing an aesthetic where beauty is explored in its subtlest nuances. On Instagram, the artist shares her vision of "Bianca" as a collection of images on beauty, a beauty that, though appearing faded and unsettling, becomes the foundation for future dialogue with our bodies when observed with a loving and non-critical eye.
In parallel with his involvement with the Queer Palm Lab, a program supporting filmmakers working on queer feature film projects, Lukas Dhont will preside over the 2024 edition's jury. The rest of the jury members will be revealed later, tasked with selecting the film succeeding Hirokazu Kore-eda's "L'Innocence," crowned in 2023.
This year, the Queer Palm and Sandra Lazzarini share a bright and caring view of bodies and sensuality often marginalized. By choosing to celebrate what is often overlooked, they remind us of the importance of recognizing diversity and beauty in all its forms.
Thus, the poster for the 2024 Queer Palm, capturing the evocative aesthetic of Sandra Lazzarini's "Bianca," becomes an invitation to explore and celebrate the richness of human diversity beyond the boundaries imposed by society. With radiant light and attentive gaze, the Queer Palm invites us to embrace beauty in all its forms, asserting that in this celebration lies the true essence of freedom and acceptance.
