Barbra Streisand Cancels Cannes Honor Appearance at 84 Due to Knee Injury

8 articles · Updated · Us Weekly · May 24

Barbra Streisand, 84, confirmed in a video message that she could not attend the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where she was due to receive an honorary Palme d'Or.
Doctors advised her not to travel as she continues recovering from a knee injury, Streisand said in a May 17 statement explaining her absence.
In the recorded remarks, she reflected on her path from actress to director and said 1981's "Yentl" took 15 years to make after studios repeatedly turned her down.
Streisand used the tribute to praise Cannes filmmakers, saying that in a fractured world, cinema can still unite people across countries.

Does honoring female icons like Streisand mask a lack of progress for women directors in competition at Cannes?

Why have women-led stories in top films dropped so sharply despite recent advocacy for on-screen equality?

With female directors struggling for funding, what new models can truly break the industry's 'auteur glass ceiling'?