Cannes, May 15 (IANS): American Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg's latest film "The BFG" premiered on Saturday at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.

"The BFG" (The Big Friendly Giant) tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of the Giant country.

The BFG is a friendly giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of the Giant country. Standing 24-foot-tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is the smallest of the giants and a vegetarian, Xinhua news agency reported.

Upon her arrival in the Giant country, Sophie is initially frightened, but realises the BFG is quite charming. He teaches Sophie all about the magic of dreams. Both having been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for each other quickly grows.

The movie was adapted from a Roald Dahl novel, of which Spielburg recalled telling the story to his children when they were young.

Making a movie based on imagination and magic, Spielberg said: "All of us have to believe in magic, the worse the world gets, the more magic we have to believe in."

"Because that magic will give us hope. That hope will cause us to be proactive. And when we have the wherewithal to help, it will put us in a position to get very proactive in a world that needs our attention more than it ever has," the director said.

For him, hope comes from magic and "that's what movies can give people. They can give people hope that there will be a reason to fight on to the next day," he said.

The 69th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 11 to 22 in Cannes, France.