Cannes Film Festival 2017
Premieres & Screenings
Monday the 22nd
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Image Source: Getty Images
The first day of the second week at this year’s festival culminated with writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos returning to Cannes after the festival successes of previous surrealist gems ‘Dogtooth’ and ‘The Lobster’, for the premiere of his latest dark and deadpan concoction ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’. A horror/mystery revolving around a gifted surgeon, whose life takes a downward spiral after he’s drawn into the dysfunctional family of a teenage patient, with unexpected and tragic consequences.
On hand were stars Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman and Barry Keoghan as well as the director himself, ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ is out on the 3rd of November in the US with no UK date yet.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Happy End
Image Source: AFP
Week two at this year’s festival also signalled the return of German writer/director and Cannes regular Michael Haneke (Amour, The White Ribbon) to the riviera, continuing his commitment to French cinema and re-uniting with actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Isabelle Huppert for the Franco-German drama ‘Happy End’—a family drama about a well-to-do French family who are simultaneously aware of and oblivious to the world around them, set in Cannes and the backdrop of the current European refugee crisis.
Haneke brought along his large cast to Cannes, led by stars Jean-Louis Trintignant, Isabelle Huppert, Mathieu Kassovitz, Toby Jones and Franz Rogowski, ‘Happy End’ is out in Germany and France in October, with no UK date yet.
Happy End Cannes interview (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
Image Source: AFP
Monday also meant the presence of political powerhouses on the Cannes red carpet, as former US vice president and environmental activist Al Gore was joined by former French minister Ségolène Royal and directors Bonni Cohen & Jon Shenk for an out-of-competition screening of their follow-up to the Oscar-winning 2006 documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. ‘An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power’ follows up on the last ten years of development in man-made climate change factors, looking optimistically at the goodwill and innovation which might help solve this crisis, while warning about the social and political threats to the movement, and is out in in the US on the 28th of July and the UK on the 25th of August.
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power trailer (courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
Tuesday the 23rd
Top Of The Lake: China Girl
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Tuesday was a historic day of sorts at Cannes and a sign of the times as the first ever premiere of a TV show was welcomed at the world’s most prestigious film festival, with Kiwi writer/director Jane Campion unveiling the unexpected yet long-awaited second series of her TV mini-series ‘Top of the Lake’—an Antipodean mystery crime series starring Elisabeth Moss as ‘detective Griffin’, now returned to Sydney and facing her past demons and the regrets surrounding her long-lost child, while investigating the mysterious death of a Chinese girl . . . which may hit closer to home than she expected.
Show creator Campion and star Moss were joined at the riviera by new cast members including Nicole Kidman, Alice Englert, Gwendoline Christie and David Dencik, plus director Ariel Kleiman, for a second series which debuts at some point in September.
Top of the Lake Cannes interview (The Hollywood Reporter)
The Day After (Geu-hu)
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A clear sign of the current depth in the South Korean film industry, Tuesday saw an in-competition screening for yet another of the many films from the Asian powerhouse at this year’s festival, with writer/director Hong Sang-soo reuniting with actress Kim-Minhee (The Handmaiden) and actor Kwon Hae-hyo for the premiere of his latest relationship drama ‘The Day After’—the story of a man caught in a romantic quagmire between his wife, the woman who left him and the new employee who his wife mistakes for his departed mistress, out on the 7th of June in France with no other releases yet.
The Day After Cannes interview (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Radiance (Hikari)
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Not to be outdone by their neighbours, Japan also premiered its competition entry on Tuesday as writer/director and Cannes regular Naomi Kawase brought her stars Tatsuya Fuji, Ayame Misaki, Masatoshi Nagase and Misuzu Kanno for a first showing of her own relationship drama ‘Radiance’—the story of a film writer for the visually impaired who serendipitously meets a photographer with failing eyesight, a couple who begin to disconnect from the world while discovering a new way to look at it. ‘Radiance’ is out on the 27th of May in Japan with no UK date yet.
Radiance Cannes interview (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Wednesday the 24th
The Beguiled
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The second Wednesday at Cannes culminated with one of the most anticipated in-competition screenings at this years’s festival, writer/director Sofia Coppola’s adaptation of the Thomas Cullinan novel ‘The Beguiled’, a story already immortalised in celluloid by Clint Eastwood in the 1971 film by Don Siegel. The Palme d’Or contender tells the story of the ladies & girls of an isolated all-female boarding school in the American South during the civil war, who take in and care for an injured enemy soldier—only to have the dynamics and friendships in the house disrupted, as an unexpected power struggle develops when the mysterious stranger challenges their social naivety and sexual repression.
Coppola was joined by the leading ladies of her mulit-generational cast Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst, Nicole Kidman, Angourie Rice and Addison Riecke, plus sole gentleman Colin Farrell, ‘The Beguiled’ is out on the 30th of June in the US and on the 14th of July in UK cinemas.
The Beguiled Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Rodin
Image Source: AFP
Wednesday also saw the in-competition premiere of French director Jacques Doillon’s Auguste Rodin biopic, which recounts the life story of the legendary French sculptor from his rise as an artist of national renown, through his romantic entanglements, to the misunderstood work that would usher in the era of modern sculpture. Doillon was in attendance with his stars Izia Higelin, Vincent Lindon and Severine Caneele, ‘Rodin’ is out on the 31st of August in Germany with no other release dates yet.
Rodin Cannes interview (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
The Summit (La Cordillera)
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South American participation at the festival this year graced the red carpet on the 24th in the form of Argentinian director Santiago Mitre’s Un Certain Regard contender ‘The Summit’—a political and family drama centred around the Argentinian president’s visit to a summit of South American leaders, where his personal and private life come to a head and he will make decisions which will define both. The director was present for the press scrum along with stars Dolores Fonzi, Ricardo Darin and Erica Rivas, ‘The Summit’ is out in August in Argentina with no international releases yet.
The Summit Cannes photocall (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Thursday the 25th
A Gentle Creature (Krotkaya)
Image Source: Getty Images
Thursday at the riviera meant the in-competition premiere for Belarussian director Sergei Loznitsa’s French production of a Russian story ‘A Gentle Creature’—the dark and often surreal tale of a Russian woman’s journey to an isolated prison to unravel the mystery of her incarcerated husband’s fate, after the package she sent him is returned without explanation. Loznitsa was in attendance with producers in tow, as well as two of the film’s stars Valeriu Andriuta and Vasilina Makovtseva, ‘A Gentle Creature’ is released in France on the 16th of August, with no other release dates yet.
A Gentle Creature Cannes interview (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Good Time
Image Source: AFP
Thursday also saw the Cannes competition debut of emerging indie filmmakers the Safdie brothers and their Palme d’Or contender ‘Good Time’; a gritty crime drama starring Robert Pattinson as a bank robber who plunges deeper into the criminal underworld and a dangerous race to spring his recently incarcerated brother from jail. The directors and star were joined on the red carpet by co-stars Buddy Duress and Taliah Webster, ‘Good Time’ is out on the 11th of August in the US with no UK date yet.
Good Time Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Twin Peaks
Image Source: AFP
Following the history-making appearance of TV show ‘Top of the Lake’ at Cannes on Tuesday, legendary writer/director and show creator David Lynch brought the long awaited continuation to his iconic 90s show ‘Twin Peaks’ to the riviera—for more of a French premiere than a global one as the new limited series aired on the 21st of May. The story continues on 25-years after the murder and mysterious events in the small and idiosyncratic US town, following the singular FBI agent tasked with making sense of everything—played by Kyle MacLachlan who joined Lynch and the show’s producers on the red carpet.
Twin Peaks on the Cannes red carpet (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Friday the 26th
In the Fade (Aus dem Nichts)
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German contender for the Palme d’Or ‘In the Fade’ had its premiere on the second Friday at Cannes as writer/director Fatih Akin brought his socially confronting drama to the festival—a dark and timely reflection of social tensions in Germany, starring Diane Kruger as a distraught woman whose grief and mourning turns to anger and vengeance, after her husband and young son are killed in a bomb attack.
The director and star were joined by fellow actors Numan Acar, Denis Moschitto, Samia Chancrin and Ulrich Brandhoff for the media frenzy, ‘In the Fade’ is out in Germany on the 23rd of November, with no other releases yet.
In the Fade Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Amant Double (L’Amant Double)
Image Source: Getty Images
Friday also saw the return of French filmmaker François Ozon (Swimming Pool, Frantz) to Cannes as he brought along the stars of his latest dark drama with a romantic (and thrilling) tinge, Marine Vacth, Jacqueline Bisset and Jeremie Renier for the in-competition premiere of the erotic ‘Amant Double’—the story of a beautiful young lady who falls for her psychologist, only to discover that there may be more to his identity than meets the eye. ‘Amant Double’ is out in France now, with no other release dates yet.
Amant Double Cannes interview (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Directions (Posoki)
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Bulgaria showcased their competition entry on Friday with the premiere of Stephan Komandarev’s Un Certain Regard contender ‘Directions’; a small budget indie drama which reflects a pervasive sense of hopelessness in modern Bulgaria, following several distinct taxi drivers as they experience corruption and all the ills of their society through the experiences of their passengers. The director was on hand with stars Borisleva Stratieva, Irini Jambonas, Ivan Barnev and Dobrin Dosev, for a film with no release current dates.
Directions @ Cannes (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Saturday the 27th
You Were Never Really Here
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The final day of in-competition premieres and the penultimate journée at this years festival saw the return of British writer/director and Cannes regular Lynne Ramsay to the riviera for the premiere of her brutal vigilante drama/thriller ‘You Were Never Really Here’, adapted from the Jonathan Ames novel. The story of a troubled military veteran who seeks redemption by rescuing girls from sex trafficking rings, only to get caught up in a dangerous conspiracy and web of corruption during his latest life-altering mission.
Ramsay was in attendance flanked by her stars Joaquin Phoenix and Ekaterina Samsonov, ‘You Were Never Really Here’ has no current release dates.
You Were Never Really Here Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Based on a True Story (D’après Une Histoire Vraie)
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The second Saturday at Cannes this year saw an infrequent visit by legendary (and controversial) director Roman Polanski for an out-of-competition premiere of his adaptation of the Delphine de Vigan novel ‘Based on a True Story’—a French drama/thriller centred on a successful writer with personal struggles and writer’s block, who develops an intense relationship with an impressive admirer which soon turns sinister. Roman Polanski brought along his leading lady (and wife) Emmanuelle Seigner and co-star Eva Green to the red carpet, for a film out on the 1st of November in France with no other release dates yet.
Based on a True Story Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Cannes 2017 Awards (Next Page)–>
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