CANNES, France — Throughout the 77th Cannes Film Festival, there had been a sense of bracing for conflict. France’s #MeToo reckoning threatened to engulf unspecified male directors whose films were playing. When exposed, would they have to leave the competition? And what was with all the armed soldiers, whose presence increased daily, marching up and down the Croisette? What had they heard about Gaza protests, or perhaps the threat of a terrorist attack?
