The administration of the Cannes Film Festival in France is officially banning the niqab on the red carpet as well as inside the Festival Palace. “In accordance with the [French] law of 11 October 2010, it is forbidden to conceal your face in public places. Wearing a niqab is prohibited on the red carpet and in the Palace,” the Festival’s press office said on 22 May.
This decision comes after Danish director Charlotte Schioler, who is presenting a short film named “Slør” [“niqab” in English], attended the premiere of Mike Leigh’s “Mr. Turner” on May 15, wearing said niqab, a cloth leaving only the eyes uncovered, on the renowned red carpet. “I wanted to know if I could walk the red carpet and enter the Palace wearing the niqab.” Three days later, Schioler, who is not a Muslim but is studying the reasons for wearing the attire, managed to go through two security checkpoints, with a friend, before being stopped by security guards as she reached the Festival Palace.