Indigenous Producer Says He Was ‘Treated Like a Criminal’ for Wearing Moccasins on Cannes Red Carpet
Manori Ravindran International EditorAn Indigenous Canadian producer who was turned away from the Cannes red carpet for wearing traditional moccasins says he was made to feel like “a criminal” for representing his culture at the world’s foremost film festival.Vancouver-based producer Kelvin Redvers, who is a member of the Dene nation, was in line to walk the red carpet for the world premiere of Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s “Les Amandiers” on Sunday (May 22) when he was stopped in his tracks by red carpet security.Redvers was part of a contingent of Indigenous producers who were in Cannes for the first time, pitching their projects and experiencing the festival. The group’s trip was backed by Canadian funding org Telefilm, Toronto-headquartered Indigenous Screen Office and Capilano University’s FILMBA program.