Sean Penn tried to turn the conversation at the Cannes Film Festival to Haiti, hosting a fundraiser for the earthquake-ravaged and poverty-stricken country. It was the first time the festival has used its glitzy, global spotlight to attract attention for a cause not connected with a movie. Penn, director Paul Haggis and model Petra Nemcova brought their individual charities together for a black-tie dinner on Friday evening to benefit their organizations and renew attention to the Caribbean country. Designer Giorgio Armani co-hosted the gala.
‘A film festival is not simply about films, ever,’ Penn said. ‘This isn’t a film, what we’re doing now. It’s not a film when we stand outside and we take pictures for magazines. What it all has to do with is an expression and a shared experience.’ – source
