Cannes controversy: Authorities seize former Israeli hostage Mia Schem’s yellow ribbon amid hostage awareness effort

Several freed Israeli hostages have spoken out in support of those still being held in Gaza, calling for their release. Mia Schem has been a prominent voice, speaking both in Israel and on international platforms with a mission to help bring them home.

Schem was kidnapped into Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israeli communities that resulted in the murder of 1,200 people – Israelis and foreign nationals – and saw 251 taken hostage.

Schem was invited to the Cannes Film Festival in France by the local Jewish community. On Friday, she met with the mayor of Nice, where she addressed the city council.

On Saturday, security guards at the festival confiscated a ribbon from Schem bearing the message "Bring Them Home," she told Israel’s N12 News.

"I came to help in the struggle to bring the hostages back,” Schem told N12. “Unfortunately, upon arriving at the red carpet, the festival management confiscated the ribbon I was supposed to wear. I refused to give up. I took the yellow hostage pin from one of the delegation members and wore it on my dress."

The Jerusalem Post reported that throughout the 10-day film festival, there were several anti-Israel protests, including one led by twin directors Arab and Tarzan Nasser during the screening of their film, "Once Upon a Time in Gaza."

"Gaza is undergoing the greatest and most horrific genocide in modern history,” the directors stated.

Additionally, taking a strong stance against Israel, Australian editor Julian Assange appeared wearing a jacket with the message "Stop Israel" and a shirt displaying the names of around 5,000 children reportedly killed by the IDF since 2023.

According to The Times of Israel, a petition circulated ahead of the festival among filmmakers and actors, criticizing what they called the global film community’s silence on the war in Gaza against Hamas. The petition garnered over 900 signatures in total, including that of “Schindler’s List” star, Ralph Fiennes.

Other wins at the festival included Arab-Israeli director, screenwriter and actor Tawfik Barhom, who won the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film with his work, "I'm Glad You're Dead Now."

Barhom’s film – which he wrote, directed, and starred in – follows two brothers returning to their childhood island, where hidden secrets and unresolved tensions compel them to face a haunting past. The cast also includes Arab-Israeli actor Ashraf Barhom.

“This is for Palestine and for peace,” Barhom said during a press conference after receiving his award. The film is described as a joint Palestinian, Greek and French production.

The top prize went to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who was awarded the Palme d'Or for Best Feature Film for "It Was Just an Accident." The film centers on five former detainees who believe they’ve identified the prosecutor who tortured them, but because they were blindfolded during their imprisonment, none of them can be certain he is the same man.

Panahi was banned from filmmaking for 15 years by the Iranian government due to his outspoken support for the opposition movement and his criticism of the regime.