At the iconic Carlton Cannes, Karolina Bomba, founder and president of the World Film Festival in Cannes, bore witness to a defining moment at the 10th edition of the Better World Fund Gala, held alongside the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The evening, dedicated to art and humanitarian values, was marked by the emotional public return of Kevin Spacey, nearly a decade after his withdrawal from the film industry.
Invited by the foundation’s visionary founder, Manuel Collas de La Roche — with whom she shares a long-standing connection, having been involved in the project’s early stages — Karolina Bomba captured the emotional weight and symbolic depth of the actor’s speech: a bold and unflinching address that questioned cancel culture, public judgment, and the fragility of redemption in today’s world.
Spacey drew parallels between his blacklisting and that of Dalton Trumbo during the McCarthy era, delivering a pointed critique of Hollywood’s moral absolutism:
“Who would have thought that honoring someone acquitted in every court would be seen as an act of bravery?”
For Karolina Bomba, the moment transcended the glitz of the evening:
“It was a suspended moment, almost theatrical in its intensity — a call to reexamine justice, redemption, and the role of the artist in a society quick to condemn.”
The actor concluded, visibly moved, with a quote from his friend Elton John:
“I’m still standing.”
Bomba’s thoughtful reflection on the event did not shy away from complex questions: the divide between the man and the artist, the lasting impact of public scrutiny, and whether prejudices tied to Spacey’s 2017 coming out may have intensified the backlash against him.
“Art, in both its shadows and its brilliance, dares us to think for ourselves,” she wrote.
“It’s now up to us to listen without prejudice, to reflect with courage, and to build a future where compassion and understanding prevail.”
Through her presence and insight, Karolina Bomba reminds us that cultural events are more than spectacles — they are platforms for truth, nuance, and humanity to be reclaimed.med.
