The Cannes Film Festival turned nostalgic this week as Spanish singer Jeanette brought her 1976 anthem Por qué te vas back to the stage. The performance accompanied a restored screening of Carlos Saura's film Cría Cuervos, which originally featured the track and is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
A Song That Defined an Era
Jeanette, born in London to Spanish parents and raised in the Canary Islands, became an international sensation with Por qué te vas. The song's melancholic melody and lyrics about loss resonated far beyond Spain, reaching audiences across Europe and Latin America. In Cría Cuervos, the track underscores the emotional turmoil of a young girl grappling with family secrets in Franco-era Spain.
The Cannes event, held on the Croisette, featured a live rendition by Jeanette herself, now in her 70s. Her voice, still clear and poignant, drew applause from a crowd that included filmmakers, critics, and fans who grew up with the song. The restored print of Cría Cuervos was presented by the festival's Classics section, which highlights cinematic heritage.
This revival comes amid a broader European trend of revisiting cultural touchstones from the 1970s. Earlier this year, a new documentary revived the legacy of Zurita de Oliveira, Portugal's first rock 'n' roll pioneer, showing how the continent is reexamining its musical roots.
Cannes as a Stage for European Cinema
The festival has long been a platform for European film heritage. This year's lineup includes several restored classics and tributes to directors who shaped the continent's cinematic identity. The Cría Cuervos screening is part of a larger effort by French institutions to preserve and promote Spanish-language cinema from the post-Franco transition.
Jeanette's performance also highlighted the cross-border nature of European pop culture. The song, originally written by Spanish composer José Luis Perales, became a hit in France, Germany, and the UK after its inclusion in Saura's film. It later gained renewed popularity in the 1990s when it was featured in the film Todo sobre mi madre by Pedro Almodóvar, who recently called Trump, Netanyahu, and Putin 'monsters' at Cannes.
The event also underscored the role of festivals in sustaining European cultural memory. As streaming platforms dominate distribution, live performances and restored screenings offer audiences a tangible connection to the past. The Cannes Classics section, which curated this screening, has become a vital venue for such work.
For Jeanette, the performance was a homecoming of sorts. She has lived in Spain for decades and remains active in the music scene, though she rarely performs abroad. Her appearance at Cannes drew attention not only to her own legacy but also to the enduring power of European film music.
The restored version of Cría Cuervos will likely see a wider release in European cinemas later this year, following its Cannes premiere. For now, the festival has given audiences a rare chance to experience a classic film with its iconic soundtrack performed live—a reminder of how deeply music and cinema are intertwined in Europe's cultural fabric.
