Cannes: During her visit to the official Iraqi pavilion at the Cannes International Film Festival, accompanied by Gaetan Bruel, Director General of the National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati expressed France’s interest in cultural and cinematic partnerships with Iraq.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Ministry of Culture indicated in a statement that “this visit reflects the depth of the growing cultural relations between Iraq and France and is a qualitative step in a series of coordination meetings that Iraq is holding in preparation for the signing of future cinematic and cultural cooperation agreements with the French side, as part of Iraq’s first official participation in the Cannes Film Festival.”

The statement explained that Iraq, through this cultural participation and the high-level meetings witnessed by the pavilion, affirmed its serious commitment to reviving and developing the cinema sector and opening up to constructive international partnerships that contribute to building a cinematic future that reflects the richness of Iraqi memory and its young creative energies.

The statement pointed out that the participation represents a first step in the path of international cinematic cooperation, through which the Ministry of Culture seeks to consolidate Iraq’s presence on the global cinematic map in a manner befitting its history and rich artistic heritage.