Andy Garcia’s ‘Diamond’ Sparks 9-Minute Ovation In Cannes

Andy Garcia’s passion project Diamond sparked a 9-minute ovation in Cannes on Tuesday evening as the star set down at the festival in the company of co-stars Vicky Krieps and Rosemarie DeWitt.

Billed as a love letter to L.A. and a homage to the great noir films of the past, the film is written and directed by Garcia who also stars as mysterious, out-of-time private detective Joe Diamond who has an uncanny gift for solving cases that have stumped the LAPD.

The film is the fruit of a 20-year journey for Garcia who first hit on the story while helping his daughter Daniella on a homework assignment to write a short story in the vein of The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler,

“As you might know this has been a 20-year journey and I couldn’t think of a more sacred place to than to be than here… to share this very personal journey with the Festival de Cannes,” Garcia told the enthusiastic audience in the festival’s Grand Salle Lumière.

“We all grew up with a dream and could tell you and share with young people out there who have dreams that there is no great obstacle that can’t be overcome. Follow your dream. Keep falling forward. As my father would say never take a step backward not even to gain momentum. I am blessed to be here with you all this evening. Thank you.”

The film also features Brendan Fraser, Bill Murray and Dustin Hoffman, Demián Bichir and Danny Huston in the cast among others, but they did not travel to Cannes for the premiere.

Diamond is the third feature directorial project for Garcia after the 1993 documentary Cachao… Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos, and 2005’s The Lost City.

Garcia was last in Cannes with Ocean’s Thirteen in 2007 and before that Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead which played in Un Certain Regard in 1995.

Diamond is among a dozen films playing in the Out of Competition strand this year alongside films such as Quentin Dupieux’s Full Phil, with Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart and Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell.