Jessica Chastain defends the power of art against all odds at the start of the Marrakesh Film Festival

Jessica Chastain, dazzling in a sparkly jumpsuit with silver tassels, championed the power of art to create positive change on the opening night of the Marrakech Film Festival on Friday night.

The actress is present as jury president at the Moroccan Film Festival.

She was accompanied on stage by Iranian judges Holy spider Actress Zar Amir, Call my agent! Stars Camille Cottin, Australian actor and director Joel Edgerton, British director Joanna Hogg, American director Dee Rees and Swedish filmmaker Tarik Saleh and actor Alexander Skarsgård.

“Throughout history, art has been used as an accessible communication tool to raise awareness of social issues and create positive change,” she said.

Citing famed anthropologist Margaret Mead’s words about the power of “a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens” to change the world, Chastain encouraged everyone in the theater to dedicate themselves to the arts.

“I encourage all of us to take action. Grab a brush, an instrument, a pen… right now, all over the world, we need art that speaks truth to power and uplifts us all.”

During the opening ceremony on Friday, the Danish actor Mad Mikkelsen also received Marrakech’s Etoile d’Or Life Achievement Award.

Actor Willem Dafoe presented the trophy to Mikkelsen and spoke fondly of his experiences working briefly with him in Julian Schnabel’s Vincent Van Gogh biopic At the gate of eternity.

Mikkelsen plays a preacher who is tasked with evaluating Van Gogh’s mental health after he is committed to a mental institution where he is not allowed to paint.

“Accepting the role of a scene shot in one day is a testament to his humility and generosity… Mads showed so much compassion for the interrogating priest that it took the scene to the next level .” He was an instinctive, playful partner and that day is a good memory for me… Mads, I thank you for that,” said Dafoe.

Mikkelsen has been out and about on and off since late summer when he first made the promotion Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny before the actors’ strike; and then trips entitled Venice and Toronto The Promised Land. The latter film is now on the awards circuit competing for the Oscar for Best International Film.

He expressed optimism about his current awards season commitments on the opening night red carpet in Marrakesh.

The festive 20th edition of the Marrakech Film Festival comes just two months after a deadly earthquake in the nearby Atlas Mountains killed more than 2,000 people.

Festival director Mélita du Toscan told Deadline that holding the 20th edition was the right decision.

“My heart was broken. I was torn. Then we were told, ‘We want to do this. Morocco needs it.’ It gave me so much strength. “I called all the guests and said: ‘You must come and support Morocco, support Marrakesh. They need you.’ Everyone said, ‘Yes, we’re coming’.”

In the background, the festival also faced the additional challenges of the end of the actors’ strike and the global geopolitical tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

This latest situation has led to the festival scaling back its social agenda and moving the red carpet indoors as well.

“We redesigned a few things to give the festival a more sober shape, but we didn’t do anything to the program,” says artistic director Rémi Bonhomme.

The 20th Marrakech Film Festival takes place from November 24th to December 2nd.