In a move described as "humanitarian" and "remarkable," WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a shirt bearing the names of 5,000 Palestinian children who were killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.On the other side of the shirt, the phrase "Stop Israel" was printed — a clear expression of solidarity with Gaza.

"The Six Billion Dollar Man"Assange was present at the screening of the documentary The Six Billion Dollar Man, which chronicles his journey and struggle for press freedom.The documentary, directed by Eugene Jarecki, was originally scheduled to premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, but was withdrawn due to “unexpected developments” in Assange’s story, which required re-editing the film to reflect the new events.

The film highlights Assange’s legal battle against extradition to the United States, where he faced a possible sentence of 175 years for publishing classified documents related to U.S. war crimes.He was released in 2024 after years of asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and imprisonment in the UK, following a plea deal, and has since returned to Australia.