Denzel Washington, Spike Lee and A$AP Rocky brought New York City to Cannes for the world premiere of their neo-noir crime thriller “Highest 2 Lowest,” which earned a five and a half-minute standing ovation.

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have walked a long road together. The director and actor’s collaboration has run for 35 years, starting with “Mo’Better Blues” and including the seminal “Malcolm X.” But one thing they’ve never done is ascend the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival as comrades in arms.

Spike Lee recalled on Tuesday how he and Denzel Washington instantly picked up where they left off when filming their latest movie "Highest 2 Lowest", almost 20 years after they last worked together.