Indigenous Canadian filmmaker Kelvin Redvers was denied entry to the red carpet at the 75th Cannes Film Festival because he was wearing traditional moccasins, he told Canadian media on Saturday.
The director is a member of the Dene indigenous community and grew up in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
"I grew up around my culture on the land and moccasins are a big deal," he told CBC.
"I understand that there are certain rules about dress code on the red carpet so I thought if I wore a tuxedo, a bow tie, and a piece that showed I was Indigenous, it would be accepted."
Scroll through the gallery below to see the best styles from the Cannes Film Festival red carpets:
Redvers added that moccasins "are very much considered traditional and formal clothing" among many cultures in Canada.
The director had travelled to France with a delegation of indigenous filmmakers and was invited to the premiere of Les Amandiers by French-Italian actor Valeria Bruni Tedeschi on May 22.
Festival security officials, however, barred him from the red carpet, Redvers told several major Canadian media outlets. He was only allowed to return once he had changed his shoes.
"It's kind of hard to process things like that. I was almost, and even now when I think about it, (it) kind of gets me a little upset. I was disappointed. I was angry," he explained upon his return to Vancouver, British Columbia.
The brown moccasins had been made by Redvers's sister, and he said he was "excited" to wear them at a significant moment in his life.
"Every time I wear them, it's [the] best feeling, to be connected to family and Dene roots," he said.
Within hours of the incident, the filmmaker said he met with top festival officials, who apologised and invited him to wear the shoes on the red carpet during the presentation of David Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future on Monday.
Redvers said on Facebook that he hoped the incident would help spread the word around the world "that indigenous cultural wear is completely acceptable in formal settings like the red carpet".
Scroll through the gallery below to see all of the winners at Cannes Film Festival:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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Publisher: Ubisoft
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Release Date: April 10
Specs
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
Key facilities
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ronaldo's record at Man Utd
Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09
Appearances 230
Goals 115
Essentials
The flights
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