Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have walked a long road together. The director and actor’s collaboration has run for 35 years, starting with “Mo’Better Blues” and including the seminal “Malcolm X.” But one thing they’ve never done is ascend the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival as comrades in arms.

Denzel Washington sandwiched a whirlwind trip to the Cannes Film Festival in between Broadway performances for the premiere of Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest” and was rewarded with a surprise honorary Palme d'Or.

Denzel Washington descended upon the French Riviera this week for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where both a lifetime achievement award and an eager photographer awaited his attention.