Chivalry in Cannes is a live Twitter-based and blog-based report from Cannes with Chivas, Official Partner of the Cannes Film Festival. Each episode gives you an exclusive, insider’s view of Chivalry in Cannes and the world of film.

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Chivas places Chivalry first and foremost as its fundamental value, but what is the real meaning of modern-day Chivalry? Brotherhood is one key value that can turn us all into modern knights: showing as much integrity, reliability and kindness as we would to a brother, sister or an oldest friend, to all.

Clint Eastwood‘s twice Oscar-nominated film Invictus, which means “unconquered” in Latin, exemplifies brotherhood. The film not only highlights the inspiring team spirit shared by Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, but also fraternity in sports, politics, and in the lives of South African citizens. And as film reviewer David Ansen of Newsweek puts it: “The wonder of Invictus is that it actually went down this way.”

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Brotherhood through Teamwork, Friendship and Loyalty

Nelson Mandela: “Brothers and sisters, this is the time to build our nation!”

A successful and impartial leader as Nelson Mandela is a great role model for everyone. The South African President placed his hopes on his Rugby team, and wanted to show that a united post-apartheid South Africa could do what it never hoped to do before: win the Rugby World Cup. Through leading by example, the newly appointed President proved that teamwork would eventually overcome even the hardest conflicts. This is applicable in our lives; through friendship, loyalty, and unity, we can go further than one can as an individual alone. Through this collective approach – the idea of “us”, rather than “I” – we can gain the perseverance necessary to succeed. Through teamwork, the impossible becomes possible and new doors open up, making unlikely outcomes more likely.

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Brotherhood through Fraternity

Francois Pienaar: (to his team) “Times change, we need to change as well.”

It all started with a meeting between Nelson Mandela and the National team’s captain: Francois Pienaar. At first lacking support and passion, the rugby team did not have the necessary drive it needed to win. But through the captain’s bold and boundless persistence, the team became stronger and more united every day around the President’s dream. This moment in the film illustrates how understanding and supporting the people around us is the first step to achieving our dreams, and toward leading a chivalrous life. Furthermore, pursuing our passions and sharing our drive with others is a critical second step towards acting with true brotherhood. Fraternity is the application of brotherhood around one shared ideal. Once we understand this process, what moves us will also move the people around us. It is never too late to think of others – in fact, this is the very premise of brotherhood itself.

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Brotherhood through Integrity

Nelson Mandela: (quoting William Ernest Henley‘s Poem) “I thank whatever gods may be / For my unconquerable soul. / I am the master of my fate / I am the captain of my soul.”

As a true story, Invictus highlights the notion of integrity – knowing that we are always doing our best and always doing what we believe is right, without taking shortcuts, and regardless of what other people say or think. Integrity is the magical ingredient behind brotherhood, the one that says: this is my ideal, this is my brothers’ and sisters’ ideal and in the case of Pienaar and Mandela, this is my nation’s destiny. In the film, for example, the game’s live presenter comes to Pienaar and says: “But you could not do it without the support of 62,000 South Africans in the stadium,” to which the captain responds, “No, we don’t have the support of 62,000, we have 43 million behind us.” A reminder of how powerfully a group can come together behind a common cause, the moment highlights how integrity can play a key role in leading to the realisation of one’s goals.

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