Lee was joined in the Cannes press conference by Wright and Ilfenesh Hadera, who plays King’s poised and skeptical wife Pam. Highest 2 Lowest marks Lee’s first collaboration with one-time muse Washington since 2006’s Inside Man.

Highest 2 Lowest was shot across New York, with elaborate action scenes in the Bronx, set against the backdrop of Yankee Stadium. During the presser, Lee was asked about shooting in New York and how he thinks the recent drop in production in the city could be resolved.

Highest 2 Lowest is an old man’s movie, and I don’t mean that as a criticism. Spike Lee is 68 years old, and Denzel Washington is 70, and it’s fitting for them to ruminate on what they’ve accomplished and how they fit into a world that continues to change around them.