The movie The Apprentice which depicts the early years of former President Donald Trump, has been screened at the Cannes Film Festival in France, receiving an enthusiastic response.
According to AFP news on May 21, The Apprentice was screened at the Cannes Film Festival premiere on May 20 and received a standing ovation for about eight minutes.
The Apprentice, which premiered for the first time, is a work by Iranian-Danish director Ali Abbasi. It portrays young Trump in the 1970s and 80s, striving to expand his real estate business in New York.
According to the media, Trump is depicted as a villain in this film. The most controversial scene is when Trump rapes Ivana, who criticizes his appearance. Ivana Trump, his first wife whom he divorced in 1992, accused Trump of raping her during their divorce proceedings but later withdrew the allegations.
Other scenes in the film depict Trump suffering from erectile dysfunction, undergoing liposuction and wrinkle removal surgery, and having affairs and hair transplant surgery.
In response, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s election campaign, stated, “It is a fabricated story based on things that were proven false long ago,” and added, “We will sue to correct these outrageous false claims.”
Abbasi explained his choice of Trump as the subject of the film, saying, “Trump is the best subject to address the rise of fascism,” and “I felt compelled to make the film because good people have kept silent for too long. It’s time to make a political film.”
He continued, “It’s wrong to see him as a fool, stupid, or superficial because Trump is a complex figure. He is very intuitive and knows the public well,” but he emphasized that the Trump in the film is a fictional character.
The Apprentice, which has been invited to compete at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, is attracting significant attention in the United States. As the country is in the midst of an election season, the film is emerging as one of the most talked-about films among this year’s competitors.
