Jacob Elordi absent as Oh Canada receives a standing ovation in Cannes

Paul Schrader shed tears as his new film “Oh, Canada” received a four-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival Friday night.

Jacob Elordi was notably absent from the premiere, perhaps because he is filming “Frankenstein” by Guillermo del Toro, in which he plays the role of the Monster. Once the ovation was over, Schrader addressed Elordi who was not there, saying: “I’m very happy with Richard, Uma, Jake – not here with us – and everything went well. I am very happy to be back here on the Croisette.

Elordi, whose star continues to rise after acclaimed roles in “Saltburn” and “Priscilla,” made his Cannes debut last year in Sean Price Williams’ road movie “The Sweet East.”

The drama tells the life story of a struggling writer, Leonard Fife, who, late in his life, reflects on his decision to flee to Canada to avoid the Vietnam War draft. Richard Gere plays modern-day Leonard, while Elordi inhabits the character’s younger self. The cast is completed by Uma Thurman, Victoria Hill, Michael Imperioli, Penelope Mitchell and Kristine Froseth.

Schrader, 77, previously traveled to the Croisette for the 1976 film “Taxi Driver,” for which he wrote the screenplay. The film went on to win the festival’s prestigious Palme d’Or. His 1985 film “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” premiered in competition at Cannes, and he returned again in 1988 for “Patty Hearst.”

In a recent interview with Variety Of “Oh, Canada,” Schrader said making the film made him look back on his own life. “My health is not good,” he said. “I thought if I was going to make my death movie, it had to be now.”

Gere, who previously worked with Schrader on 1980’s “American Gigolo,” has been to Cannes several times during his decades-long career, including for Akira Kurosawa’s “Rhapsody in August,” which is at honor on the official poster of this year’s festival.