The opening ceremony for the 39th Cannes Film Festival, on May 9, 1986, where Martin Scorsese’s *After Hours,* starring Griffin Dunne, stole the show.

Once upon a Time in Cannes

Forty years ago, Muammar al-Qaddafi threatened to blow up the Cannes Film Festival. The author attended anyway, with Griffin Dunne—and the rest is history

By Mitch Glazer

Photo illustration by Chop Choppish Shop

U.S. JETS HIT TERRORIST CENTERS IN LIBYA - The U.S. conducted a series of air strikes on Monday night against what the White House called “terrorist centers” and military bases in Libya…. The Associated Press in a dispatch from Tripoli said Colonel Qaddafi’s home was among the buildings hit on the raid there …”
— Bernard Weinraub, special to The New York Times, April 15, 1986

HOLLYWOOD UNSURE ON CANNES TRIPS - Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Whoopi Goldberg have cancelled their trips to the Cannes Film Festival…. Mr. Scorsese, the director of “After Hours,” which is competing for prizes and Mr. Spielberg and Miss Goldberg, the director and star of “The Color Purple,” which is being shown out of competition at the yearly festival in the south of France, are among the most visible members of the Hollywood film industry to drop out. Warner Brothers, which produced the two films, said today the three would not be going over concern over terrorist activity.”
—Aljean Harmetz, The New York Times, April 25, 1986