Cannes director raves about David Lynch

Cannes director Thierry Frémaux pays tribute to the late legendary director David Lynch as he recalls when his Mulholland Drive premiered at the festival.

"It played at 10:30 p.m., and it received an incredible ovation, even if people didn't understand everything about it," he told Variety. "They felt that it was a unique movie, and with the two actresses… It was just an instant classic."

Thierry remembered their relationship became solid after David served as jury president. He recounted him asking how the other jury would be selected after he assumed his post.

"I told him, 'It's us, it's the Cannes Film Festival, but of course, if you ever have an enemy or people you don't want on the jury, you have to tell us,'" the 64-year-old noted. "And he said, 'I don't have any enemies, but even if I did, I wouldn't forbid them to be on the jury.'"

"I knew right away that he was a generous guy. We prepared everything, we saw each other during the calm. And then, if I tell you the truth, we never left each other's side," he concluded.

On January 20, David, a lifelong smoker, died after being evacuated from his because of wildfires in Southern California. He was 78.