Cannes: a solid edition phantom

Thierry Frémaux, the delegate general, and Pierre Lescure, the president of the Cannes film Festival, have unveiled the official selection of the 73rd edition.

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June 3, 2020 16h47

Updated at 23h17

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Cannes: a solid edition phantom

Eric Moreault

The Sun

On Wednesday, president Pierre Lescure and Thierry Frémaux, the general delegate of the Cannes film Festival, took place in the large hall of the cinema UGC Normandie, in Paris. The symbol was strong : instead of the frenzy usual on the floor anxious to know the official selection of this 73rd edition, that of blank rows. By watching the broadcast on the social networks, we took the measure of the impact of the pandemic on the planet-cinema.

But we also observed that the Festival remained true to its primary mission : “to show movies.” And “we put their name on the map,” said Thierry Frémaux. The goal? The accompany in festivals and their possible career in a gym with the official seal of Cannes. Failing to see on-the-spot — it’s a solid selection, which oscillates between loyal and new faces, will be picking up the next edition in 2021.

Some have chosen to delay the output at the 74th edition, hence their absence from the official selection.

It was an Open secret that Wes Anderson would be present with The English Dispatch, shot in France with a pantheon of stars. No surprise either on the side of François Ozon with 85, or Maïwenn, a veteran, with DNA.

Among the big names of the seventh art who have walked on the Croisette, there is Thomas Vinterberg (Druk, with Mads Mikkelsen); Naomi Kawase (True Mothers); Lucas Belvaux (men) Im Sang-Soo (Heaven) and Steve McQueen, not once, but twice. Lovers Rock and Mangrove would have resonated stronger since they evoke the Black condition.

The specialized press has sometimes been blamed for the lack of new faces, they would have been many this year. In addition to the Quebec Pascal Plante with Nadia, Butterfly (see other text), festival-goers would have been able to count on the presence of Emmanuel Mouret (The things we say, the things we do with Niels Schneider); Élie Wajeman (Doctors of night); Francis Lee (Ammonite with Kate Winslet) and Oskar Roehler (enfant terrible, which is dedicated to the tumultuous career of Fassbinder, director of engineering who has burned the candle at both ends).

The selection also includes three documentaries, four animated films (including Aya to majority of the son of the great Miyazaki), and five comedies. Among these last, you can bet that both Alfred Bruno Podalydès with Sandrine Kiberlain and Vanessa Paradis, as well as the origin of The world, the first creation of Laurent Laffite with Karin Viard and Vincent Macaigne, would have made a lot of noise.

Thierry Frémaux and his team have chosen the final three movies less than last year’s selection. More than one-quarter are first feature films and there is a slight increase of female directors, representing 16 compared to 14 in 2019, representing 28.5% of the films selected.

In total, Cannes has received 2067 works, exceeding for the first time, the bar of 2000 (after 1845 in 2019).

Without Palme d’or and other awards, “everyone will be able to establish its track record”, has launched Frémaux, with a smile.

Le Soleil