The 78th Festival de Cannes 2025 Edition 16 | Page 54

At the height of the ceremony, Leonardo DiCaprio was welcomed with a standing ovation. The American actor— whose early breakthrough and cinematic partnership with Martin Scorsese were both shaped by Robert De Niro— took the stage to pay tribute to the man who helped pave his path. With deep admiration, he presented De Niro with an Honorary Palme d’ or:

“ Tonight, I have the immense honor

of standing before you to pay tribute to someone who is our model. Robert De Niro’ s legacy lies in how he inspired actors to treat their craft not just as solo performance but as transformation. Robert De Niro is not just a great actor— he is The Actor. With Martin Scorsese, they told some of cinema’ s most legendary stories, uncompromising stories. They didn’ t just make movies— they redefined what cinema could be. They elevated the actor-director relationship into a crucible of risk-sharing.”