Matt Damon was caught on camera in tears on Thursday amid a standing ovation for his new film Stillwater.
The actor was at the premiere for the drama which was hosted by the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. As the cameras focused on Matt, he was seen with tears in his eyes although he managed to keep his composure as the audiences continued to clap and cheer.
On Friday morning he told reporters at the press conference that the tears came after acknowledging the joy of the communal film-watching experience.
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WATCH: Matt Damon stars in Stillwater
"I was a little overwhelmed last night, and I’m really glad that we’re here this year," he shared, referencing the 2020 festival's cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Because I think we’ll all look back and remember launching out of COVID — and what a way to do it," he added.
"That feeling, having watched things on television for two years just about, to be in a room with a thousand other people who are strangers but are part of the same community, it was such a great reminder of why we do this."
The moment was caught on camera
Matt plays an oil rig worker from Stillwater, Oklahoma who moves to France to help his estranged daughter who has been accused of murdering her lover.
Loosely based on the true story of Amanda Knox and the murder of Meredith Kercher, the film also stars Abigail Breslin and Camille Cottin, and was directed by Oscar winner Tom McCarthy.
Stillwater is loosely based on a true story
The coronavirus pandemic shut down the entire world in 2020 and many countries are still only just beginning to open.
The 74th film festival kicked off with Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard's Annette, by Leos Carax, and will also see Sean Penn's Flag Day and Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch both premiere.
Stillwater is out in the US on 30 July 2021.
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