Director honoured alongside collaborator Roger Guenveur Smith.

Spike Lee

Spike Lee, along with his long time collaborator actor, writer and director Roger Guenveur Smith, were honoured at a black tie gala in Cannes on May 22.

The event, which is benefitting Planned Parenthood, was held at the American Pavilion.

Lee delivered a special keynote conversation with Smith during the event. 

Lee and Smith’s most recent collaboration is the Netflix original film Rodney King, a history-infused one-man show film that is currently streaming worldwide.

Rodney King producers, and Smith’s partners at his production company Luna Ray Media, Steven Adams and Bob L Johnson were also in attendance along with Spike’s wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, among others.

Smith and Lee previously adapted Smith’s Obie Award-winning solo performance of A Huey P. Newton Story into a Peabody Award-winning made for TV film, directed by Lee.

The pair collaborated on Lee’s School Daze, Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X and Get On The Bus among other Lee films.