Vin Diesel Defends Popular Cinema at Cannes At this year's Cannes Film Festival, actor and producer Vin Diesel took to the stage to passionately defend popular cinema against a backdrop of declining box office sales and increasing criticism from industry insiders.
His speech sparked both applause and outrage among film enthusiasts, who argue that mainstream movies are being unfairly maligned as mindless blockbusters.
The Roots of His Stance Growing up in New York City's Alameda neighborhood, Diesel was surrounded by the sights and sounds of old school movie theaters.