Robert De Niro used his appearance at the Cannes Film Festival to voice concerns about political and cultural developments in the United States, as he accepted an honorary Palme d'Or for Lifetime Achievement.
The 81-year-old actor, a long-time critic of Donald Trump, described the former president as a "philistine" and said democracy in the US was under threat.
"In my country, we are fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted," he said, criticising what he claimed were deliberate cuts to arts and education funding. "Art embraces diversity. That’s why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists."
Watch: Robert De Niro warns on threats to democracy at Cannes
De Niro also raised concerns about proposed US tariffs on foreign-made films, stating: "You can’t put a price on creativity. But apparently, you can put a tariff on it."
The Taxi Driver and Goodfellas star said the issue was not confined to the US. "This is not just an American problem, it is a global one… We have to act now."
The veteran actor grew emotional as Leonardo DiCaprio presented the award, thanking him for introducing him to director Martin Scorsese, with whom DiCaprio has made six films.
