Breeze of Arab Spring wafts over Cannes red carpet

(CBS/AP) The ripples of the Arab Spring are being felt in summery Cannes this year, where films from Egypt and Syria, as well as a documentary about the overthrow of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, are being screened at the prestigious festival alongside the latest films from the world's heavyweight directors.

Pictures: Cannes Film Festival 2012
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Today, the festival lineup includes "The Oath of Tobruk" a personal account of the Libyan uprising by French writer and philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy.

The festival competition lineup also includes the short "Waiting for P.O. Box" by Syrian director Bassam Chekhes.

Among the 22 full-length features competing for the Palme d'Or is "After the Battle" by Egypt's Yousry Nasrallah.

Nasrallah said that "Arab cinema is trying to liberate itself" amid the wave of change shaking the region.

The film festival runs until Sunday.