The Da Vinci Code premieres in Cannes

Cannes (SF) - The Da Vinci Code will be the opening film at the Cannes Film Festival, despite all the controversy it has been causing all of the world, especially in catholic church circles.

Polemic around the movie has arised these past days, as result of a poster hanging at St. Pantaleo church in Rome, Italy. The giant poster was put there to cover the construction work that is taking place in the church, but the complaints from the catholic authorities did not take long to arrive to the Italian government, who answered by covering the poster by a black velvet.

"This movie is not reputed to be particularly appreciated by ecclesiastic circles," Rome's Vicariate spokesman Rev. Marco Fibbi told the Associated Press.

This argument is just the last of a series of debates around the film, based on Dan Brown's best-seller of the same name that has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. From the Catholic group Opus Dei to the Vatican itself, the movie and the book have been the center of discussions and battles, denying any truth in them and trying to stop the Catholic community from attending the film and asking for mass protests.

Dan Brown himself has stated in several occasions that the theories he wrote about are fictional and that the only true facts are the descriptions of buildings and cities.

American actor Tom Hanks stars in The Da Vinci Code, playing professor Robert Langdon, along with French actors Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu, and Jean Reno as Capitan Bezu Fache. Oscar nominee Ian McKellen is also in the film, playing sir Leigh Teabing.

The Da Vinci Code, directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard, will be in theaters worldwide on May 19.