Oklou and Theodora Turn The Beatles’ “Get Back” Into a Strange Cannes Opening Ceremony Moment

Cannes opened today with a detour that was equal parts ceremonial and slightly surreal: Peter Jackson, the director whose massive 2021 Beatles documentary borrowed its title from “Get Back,” was handed the Honorary Palme d’Or, then stayed planted at the side of the stage while Oklou and Theodora performed the song for him.

The setup alone feels like the kind of festival detail that tends to slip past anyone who does not live and breathe Cannes lore. But there it was, part of the festival’s opening ceremony, with Jackson visibly watching from the wings and, as the footage shows, awkwardly singing along. The choice of song made the tribute land with a self-aware kind of neatness, though not in an overworked way.

Oklou hardly needed an introduction. Her 2025 album Choke Enough was one of last year’s best releases, and this year she has another Cannes role entirely, serving as one of the International Critics’ Week jury members. Theodora, the French-Congolese artist joining her here, may be less familiar to some listeners, but she has already been flagged by global pop watchers as someone to keep an eye on.

With Oklou on guitar, the pair’s version of “Get Back” stayed sparse but also bent toward electronics, a combination that gave the Beatles cover a cool, detached edge rather than a museum-piece reverence. The deadpan delivery works; so does the lightly retro, ’70s-style lighting. Meanwhile, the reaction shots of Jackson and host Eye Haïdara, both stationed off to the side, add a distracting but oddly useful layer of theater. It all gives the ceremony a slightly off-kilter continental feel, which is part of the appeal. Watch it below.