The Cannes Film Festival rarely passes without cacophony but this year含羞草研究社檚 edition may be more raucous and uneasy than any edition in recent memory.
When the red carpet is rolled out from the Palais des Festivals on Tuesday, the 77th Cannes will unfurl against a backdrop of war, protest, potential strikes and quickening #MeToo upheaval in France, which for years largely resisted the movement.
Festival workers are threatening to strike. The Israel-Hamas war, acutely felt in France, home to Europe含羞草研究社檚 largest Jewish and Arab communities, is sure to spark protests. Russia含羞草研究社檚 war in Ukraine remains on the minds of many. Add in the kinds of anxieties that can be expected to percolate at Cannes 含羞草研究社� the ever-uncertain future of cinema, the rise of artificial intelligence 含羞草研究社� and this year含羞草研究社檚 festival shouldn含羞草研究社檛 lack for drama.
Being prepared for anything has long been a useful attitude in Cannes. Befitting such tumultuous times, the film lineup is full of intrigue, curiosity and question marks.
The Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, just days before his latest film, 含羞草研究社淭he Seed of the Sacred Fig,含羞草研究社� is to debut in competition in Cannes, was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court. The film remains on Cannes含羞草研究社� schedule.
Arguably the most feverishly awaited entry is Francis Ford Coppola含羞草研究社檚 self-financed opus 含羞草研究社淢egalopolis.含羞草研究社� Coppola, is himself no stranger to high-drama at Cannes. An unfinished cut of 含羞草研究社淎pocalypse Now含羞草研究社� won him (in a tie) his second Palme d含羞草研究社橭r more than four decades ago.
Even the upcoming U.S. presidential election won含羞草研究社檛 be far off. Premiering in competition is Ali Abbasi含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淭he Apprentice,含羞草研究社� starring Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump. There will also be new films from Kevin Costner, Paolo Sorrentino, Sean Baker, Yorgos Lanthimos and Andrea Arnold. And for a potentially powder keg Cannes there含羞草研究社檚 also the firebomb of 含羞草研究社淔uriosa: A Mad Max Saga.含羞草研究社� The film, a rolling apocalyptic dystopia, returns director George Miller to the festival he first became hooked on as a juror.
含羞草研究社淚 got addicted it to simply because it含羞草研究社檚 like film camp,含羞草研究社� says Miller, who became enraptured to the global gathering of cinema at Cannes and the pristine film presentations. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 kind of optimal cinema, really. The moment that they said, 含羞草研究社極K, we含羞草研究社檙e happy to show this film here,含羞草研究社� I jumped at it.含羞草研究社�
Cannes含羞草研究社� official opener on Tuesday is 含羞草研究社淭he Second Act,含羞草研究社� a French comedy by Quentin Dupieux, starring L茅a Seydoux, Louis Garrel and Vincent Lindon. During the opening ceremony, Meryl Streep will be awarded an honorary Palme d含羞草研究社橭r. At the closing ceremony, George Lucas will get one, too.
But the spotlight at the start may fall on Judith Godr猫che. The French director and actor earlier this year said the filmmakers Beno卯t Jacquot and Jacques Doillon sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager, allegations that rocked French cinema. Jacquot and Doillon have denied the allegations.
Though much of the French film industry has previously been reluctant to embrace the #MeToo movement, Godr猫che has stoked a wider response. She含羞草研究社檚 spoken passionately about the need for changes at the Cesars, France含羞草研究社檚 equivalent of the Oscars, and before a French Senate commission.
In that same period, Godr猫che also made the short film 含羞草研究社淢oi Aussi含羞草研究社� during a Paris gathering of hundreds who wrote her with their own stories of sexual abuse. On Wednesday, it opens Cannes含羞草研究社� Un Certain Regard section.
含羞草研究社淚 hope that I含羞草研究社檓 heard in the sense that I含羞草研究社檓 not interested in being some sort of representation of someone who just wants to go after everyone in this industry,含羞草研究社� Godr猫che said ahead of the festival. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 just fighting for some sort of change. It is called a revolution.含羞草研究社�
It含羞草研究社檚 the latest chapter in how #MeToo has reverberated at the world含羞草研究社檚 largest film gathering, following an 82-woman protest on the steps of the Palais in 2018 and a gender parity pledge in 2019. Cannes has often come under criticism for not inviting more female filmmakers into competition, but the festival is putting its full support behind Godr猫che while girding for the possibility of more #MeToo revelations during the festival.
含羞草研究社淔or me, having these faces, these people 含羞草研究社� everyone in this movie 含羞草研究社� gives them this place to be celebrated,含羞草研究社� said Godr猫che. 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 this thing about this place that has so much history. In a way, it mystifies movies forever. Once your film was in Cannes, it was in Cannes.含羞草研究社�
Some of the filmmakers coming to the festival this year are already firmly lodged in Cannes lore. Paul Schrader was at the festival almost 50 years ago for Martin Scorsese含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淭axi Driver,含羞草研究社� which he wrote. After a famously divisive response, it won the Palme in 1976.
含羞草研究社淚t was a different place. It was much more collegial and lower key,含羞草研究社� said Schrader during a break from packing his bags. 含羞草研究社淚 remember quite well sitting on the terrasse at the Carlton with Marty and Sergio Leone and (Rainer Werner) Fassbender came by with his boyfriend and joined us. We were all talking and the sun was going down. I was thinking, 含羞草研究社楾his is the greatest thing in the world.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
For the first time since his 1988 drama 含羞草研究社淧atty Hearst,含羞草研究社� Schrader is back in what he calls 含羞草研究社渢he main show含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� in competition for the Palme d含羞草研究社橭r 含羞草研究社� with 含羞草研究社淥h, Canada.含羞草研究社� The film, adapted from a Russell Banks novel, stars Richard Gere (reteaming with Schrader decades after 含羞草研究社淎merican Gigolo含羞草研究社�) as a dying filmmaker who recounts his life story for a documentary. Jacob Elordi plays him in 含羞草研究社�70s flashbacks.
After the Cannes lineup was announced, Schrader shared on Facebook an old photo of himself, Coppola and Lucas 含羞草研究社� all primary figures to what was then called New Hollywood 含羞草研究社� and the caption 含羞草研究社淭ogether again.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檒l be there the same time as Francis. There含羞草研究社檚 a question of whether either of us get invited back for closing,含羞草研究社� Schrader says, referring to when award-winners are asked to stay for the closing ceremony. 含羞草研究社淚 would hope that either Francis or I could come back closing night for George含羞草研究社檚 thing.含羞草研究社�
Who ultimately goes home with the Palme 含羞草研究社� the handicapping has already begun 含羞草研究社� will be decided by a jury led by Greta Gerwig, fresh off the mammoth success of 含羞草研究社淏arbie.含羞草研究社� But this year含羞草研究社檚 slate will have a lot to live up to. Last year, three eventual best picture nominees premiered in Cannes: Justine Triet含羞草研究社檚 Palme-winner 含羞草研究社淎natomy of a Fall,含羞草研究社� Jonathan Glazer含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淭he Zone of Interest含羞草研究社� and Martin Scorsese含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淜illers of the Flower Moon.含羞草研究社�
What tends to really define a Cannes, though, is emerging filmmakers. Among those likely to make an impression this year is Julien Colonna, the Corsican, Paris-based director and co-writer of 含羞草研究社淭he Kingdom.含羞草研究社� The film, an Un Certain Regard standout, is a brutal coming of age about a teenager girl (newcomer Ghjuvanna Benedetti) on the run with her father (Saveriu Santucci), a Corsican clan leader.
含羞草研究社淲e wanted to propose a kind of anti-mob film,含羞草研究社� Colonna says, referencing the prevalence of 含羞草研究社淕odfather含羞草研究社�-inspired gangster dramas. 含羞草研究社淎s a viewer, I含羞草研究社檓 quite bored of this. I think we need to move to something else and propose a different prism.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淭he Kingdom,含羞草研究社� Colonna含羞草研究社檚 debut feature film, arose out of his own anxieties around the birth of his child six years ago. It含羞草研究社檚 an entirely fictional movie but it has personal roots for Colonna, who was inspired by the memory of a camping trip that he realized years later was 含羞草研究社渁n entirely different matter for my father.含羞草研究社� He shot the most of the film in Corsica within a few miles of his hometown.
含羞草研究社淭his is where I grew up,含羞草研究社� says Colonna, smiling. 含羞草研究社淭his is where I learned to swim. The shower where her kiss takes place is the shower where I kissed for the first time.含羞草研究社�
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
