Eye Haïdara, in March 2026. NICOLAS VALOIS/CHARLETTE STUDIO/FRANCE TV
"The stage is my playground," Eye Haïdara said, and it is easy to imagine what she'll make of the grand stage at the Palais des Festivals on Tuesday, May 12, when she opens the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The whole world will be watching, as will a host of celebrities. Following in the footsteps of Virginie Efira, Chiara Mastroianni, Camille Cottin and Laurent Lafitte, 43-year-old Haïdara, who became widely known for her role in Le Sens de la fête (The Spirit of Celebration, 2017) by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, will serve as master of ceremonies. Before donning an outfit by the French fashion house Celine, she is working on her speech with director Thomas Bidegain.
We met her in April, toward the end of the day, in a France Télévisions studio in Paris, where she was doing a round of interviews. She settled in with a mix of strength and gentleness. Her hair was impeccably styled, her laughter infectious and her eyelids dusted with midnight blue eyeshadow. "This role as master of ceremonies makes you reflect on the journey you've taken. I am now at a point where someone can give me this responsibility. I welcome it with surprise, with joy, and I am honored. I am becoming even more established in the landscape of French actresses," she said in a soft and calm voice.
