Canadian director Kelvin Redvers announced that he was banned from Cannes red carpet because he was wearing traditional moccasins.
The director had traveled to France with a delegation of indigenous filmmakers and had been invited to the premiere of “Les Amandiers”.
Canadian director Kelvin Redvers announced on Saturday that he was banned from appearing on Cannes Red Carpet at the 75th Cannes Film Festival because he was wearing traditional moccasins, according to Canadian media.
“I grew up on my cultural foundations, and moccasins are very important in this regard,” the director, who is from a Dene “religious” Aboriginal community and grew up in Canada’s Northwest Territories, told CBC Canada.
“I understand that there is a certain dress code on the red carpet, so I thought if I wore a tuxedo and a tie, and an Aboriginal one, that would be okay,” Redvers added.
He pointed out that “Moccasin shoes are considered to a large extent traditional and official clothing among members of many cultures in Canada.”
The director had traveled to France with a delegation of indigenous filmmakers and was invited to attend the premiere of “Les Amandiers” by Franco-Italian actress Valeria Bruni Tedeschi in May.
Redvers told major Canadian media that festival security officials prevented him from walking the red carpet and he was only allowed to return after changing his shoes.
“Back in Vancouver, BC, it’s hard to understand things like this,” he explained. “It caused me some sadness, and it still is when I think about it. I was disappointed. It pissed me off.”
The brown moccasins were made by Redvers’ sister, who said he was “excited to wear them at the most important moments of his life,” noting that “the more I put them on, the better I feel as I feel connected to the family and the roots of my faith group.”
