The Cannes Film Festival rarely passes without cacophony but this year害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 largest Jewish and Arab communities, is sure to spark protests. Russia害羞草研究所檚 war in Ukraine remains on the minds of many. Add in the kinds of anxieties that can be expected to percolate at Cannes 害羞草研究所� the ever-uncertain future of cinema, the rise of artificial intelligence 害羞草研究所� and this year害羞草研究所檚 festival shouldn害羞草研究所檛 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, 害羞草研究所淭he Seed of the Sacred Fig,害羞草研究所� is to debut in competition in Cannes, was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court. The film remains on Cannes害羞草研究所� schedule.
Arguably the most feverishly awaited entry is Francis Ford Coppola害羞草研究所檚 self-financed opus 害羞草研究所淢egalopolis.害羞草研究所� Coppola, is himself no stranger to high-drama at Cannes. An unfinished cut of 害羞草研究所淎pocalypse Now害羞草研究所� won him (in a tie) his second Palme d害羞草研究所橭r more than four decades ago.
Even the upcoming U.S. presidential election won害羞草研究所檛 be far off. Premiering in competition is Ali Abbasi害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Apprentice,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 also the firebomb of 害羞草研究所淔uriosa: A Mad Max Saga.害羞草研究所� The film, a rolling apocalyptic dystopia, returns director George Miller to the festival he first became hooked on as a juror.
害羞草研究所淚 got addicted it to simply because it害羞草研究所檚 like film camp,害羞草研究所� says Miller, who became enraptured to the global gathering of cinema at Cannes and the pristine film presentations. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 kind of optimal cinema, really. The moment that they said, 害羞草研究所極K, we害羞草研究所檙e happy to show this film here,害羞草研究所� I jumped at it.害羞草研究所�
Cannes害羞草研究所� official opener on Tuesday is 害羞草研究所淭he Second Act,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所橭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害羞草研究所檚 spoken passionately about the need for changes at the Cesars, France害羞草研究所檚 equivalent of the Oscars, and before a French Senate commission.
In that same period, Godr猫che also made the short film 害羞草研究所淢oi Aussi害羞草研究所� during a Paris gathering of hundreds who wrote her with their own stories of sexual abuse. On Wednesday, it opens Cannes害羞草研究所� Un Certain Regard section.
害羞草研究所淚 hope that I害羞草研究所檓 heard in the sense that I害羞草研究所檓 not interested in being some sort of representation of someone who just wants to go after everyone in this industry,害羞草研究所� Godr猫che said ahead of the festival. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 just fighting for some sort of change. It is called a revolution.害羞草研究所�
It害羞草研究所檚 the latest chapter in how #MeToo has reverberated at the world害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淔or me, having these faces, these people 害羞草研究所� everyone in this movie 害羞草研究所� gives them this place to be celebrated,害羞草研究所� said Godr猫che. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 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.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭axi Driver,害羞草研究所� which he wrote. After a famously divisive response, it won the Palme in 1976.
害羞草研究所淚t was a different place. It was much more collegial and lower key,害羞草研究所� said Schrader during a break from packing his bags. 害羞草研究所淚 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, 害羞草研究所楾his is the greatest thing in the world.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
For the first time since his 1988 drama 害羞草研究所淧atty Hearst,害羞草研究所� Schrader is back in what he calls 害羞草研究所渢he main show害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� in competition for the Palme d害羞草研究所橭r 害羞草研究所� with 害羞草研究所淥h, Canada.害羞草研究所� The film, adapted from a Russell Banks novel, stars Richard Gere (reteaming with Schrader decades after 害羞草研究所淎merican Gigolo害羞草研究所�) as a dying filmmaker who recounts his life story for a documentary. Jacob Elordi plays him in 害羞草研究所�70s flashbacks.
After the Cannes lineup was announced, Schrader shared on Facebook an old photo of himself, Coppola and Lucas 害羞草研究所� all primary figures to what was then called New Hollywood 害羞草研究所� and the caption 害羞草研究所淭ogether again.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l be there the same time as Francis. There害羞草研究所檚 a question of whether either of us get invited back for closing,害羞草研究所� Schrader says, referring to when award-winners are asked to stay for the closing ceremony. 害羞草研究所淚 would hope that either Francis or I could come back closing night for George害羞草研究所檚 thing.害羞草研究所�
Who ultimately goes home with the Palme 害羞草研究所� the handicapping has already begun 害羞草研究所� will be decided by a jury led by Greta Gerwig, fresh off the mammoth success of 害羞草研究所淏arbie.害羞草研究所� But this year害羞草研究所檚 slate will have a lot to live up to. Last year, three eventual best picture nominees premiered in Cannes: Justine Triet害羞草研究所檚 Palme-winner 害羞草研究所淎natomy of a Fall,害羞草研究所� Jonathan Glazer害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Zone of Interest害羞草研究所� and Martin Scorsese害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淜illers of the Flower Moon.害羞草研究所�
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 害羞草研究所淭he Kingdom.害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淲e wanted to propose a kind of anti-mob film,害羞草研究所� Colonna says, referencing the prevalence of 害羞草研究所淕odfather害羞草研究所�-inspired gangster dramas. 害羞草研究所淎s a viewer, I害羞草研究所檓 quite bored of this. I think we need to move to something else and propose a different prism.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he Kingdom,害羞草研究所� Colonna害羞草研究所檚 debut feature film, arose out of his own anxieties around the birth of his child six years ago. It害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所渁n entirely different matter for my father.害羞草研究所� He shot the most of the film in Corsica within a few miles of his hometown.
害羞草研究所淭his is where I grew up,害羞草研究所� says Colonna, smiling. 害羞草研究所淭his is where I learned to swim. The shower where her kiss takes place is the shower where I kissed for the first time.害羞草研究所�
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
