Cannes Film Festival 2018
The world’s biggest and most prestigious film festival got an early start this year as the 8th of May saw the great and the good of the global film industry converge once again on the French riviera, flanked of course by the world’s media, kicking-off twelve days of glitz and celebration of the cinematic arts at the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival. Once again filmmakers & shakers from across the globe unleash the results of their hard work and passion unto the world, giving us an array of likely award-contending films to be released throughout the rest of 2018 and well into 2019—not forgetting of course the awarding of Cannes’ own prestigious prizes.
After rearing its head during last year’s festival, the topic of Netflix was a major talking point before and during this year’s event, as a new rule banning films without a theatrical release in France from the competition selection prompted a dramatic response from the streaming giants, who pulled all of its films from the festival—yet it still managed to have an impact by going shopping in the south of France, negotiating to buy several pictures including Asghar Farhadi’s festival opener ‘Everybody Knows’, which it ultimately lost out on. Only time will tell how the conflict between the world’s biggest streaming service and its biggest film festival plays out in the years to come, but it will no doubt shadow the changes in the global film industry.
Jury
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Once again the jury for the main competition—which awarded the Palme d’Or among other prizes—was comprised of an eclectic international selection of filmmakers, presided over by Australian modern acting great Cate Blanchett and included Taiwanese actor Chang Chen, American director Ava DuVernay, French director Robert Guédiguian, Burundian singer Khadja Nin, French actress Léa Seydoux, American actress Kristen Stewart, Canadian director Denis Villeneuve and Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev.
Jury press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Premieres & Screenings
Tuesday the 8th
Everybody Knows (Todos lo Saben)
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After an acclaimed career which has included two Oscar-winning films in the last six years, Iranian writer/director Asghar Farhadi was given the honour of opening this year’s festival with a world premiere of his latest nuanced human drama and first Spanish-language film ‘Everybody Knows’—the story of a Spanish-Argentinian family’s descent into paranoia and doubt after a post-wedding tragedy unearths some confronting buried secrets.
Farhadi was joined on the glitzy Cannes red carpet opening gala by his stars Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Ricardo Darín, among others, ‘Everybody Knows’ is out in France now, with no UK or US date yet.
Everybody Knows Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Wednesday the 9th
Leto
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The clash between politics and free artistic expression was evident on the first full day at Cannes this year with the in-competition screening of 80s Russian biographical music drama ‘Leto’, as the film’s director and Kremlin critic Kirill Serebrennikov was conspicuous in his absence thanks to his house arrest in Russia on charges of corruption, which many believe to be politically motivated.
In his stead were the movie’s producer Charles-Evrard Tchekhoff and stars Roman Bilyk, Irina Starshenbaum, and Teo Yoo, gathered for the premiere of a film about the makings of Soviet music star Viktor Tsoi—charting his rise in the underground rock scene 1980s Leningrad, and the friendships which would from a unique Russian cultural icon. ‘Leto’ is out on the 7th of June in Russia, with no UK or US date yet.
Leto Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Donbass
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The first Wednesday also saw the screening of Ukranian ‘post-truth’ era drama and ‘Un Certain Regard’ competition entry ‘Donbass’. A confronting contemporary drama set in the contested border area where the Russo-Ukrainian conflict spills onto the streets of small towns, as the line between truth and propaganda becomes blurred and violence is mistaken for peace—opening the door to farce and madness in this regional story with global echoes.
Writer/director Sergey Loznitsa was joined in the Riviera by his actors Valeriu Andriuta, Boris Kamorzin, Sergey Kolesov, Svetlana Kolesova, Georgiy Deliev, Natalya Buzko and Liudmila Smorodina, ‘Donbass’ is out on the 5th of September in France, with no UK date yet.
Rafiki
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Kenya also made their mark on the ‘Un Certain Regard’ competition this year, in the form of Wanuri Kahiu’s coming-of-age sexual awakening drama ‘Rafiki’—the story of two young Kenyan outsiders who defy their society’s expectations and attitudes towards same-sex relationships, only to be cornered into choosing between what the heart wants and what is forcibly good for them. Writer/director Kahiu was on hand with stars Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva, ‘Rafiki’ has no confirmed release dates yet.
Thursday the 10th
Sorry Angel (Plaire, Aimer et Courir Vite)
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After Robin Campillo made his mark on the festival last year with the urgent and memorable ‘BPM (Beats Per Minute)’, writer/director Christophe Honoré brings his own French LGBT drama with an HIV focus to the riviera in the form of a more tender and romantic affair. ‘Sorry Angel’ follows the story of a Parisian writer who befriends and romances a young student, who himself has little time to waste and a drive to live love to the fullest.
Honoré was in attendance with his stars Adele Wismes, Pierre Deladonchamps, Vincent Lacoste and Denis Podalydes for an in-competition premiere, ‘Sorry Angel’ is out now in French cinemas, with no other release dates yet.
Sorry Angel Cannes interview (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Yomeddine
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Egyptian cinema also made its presence felt at Cannes this year through an in-competition premiere of Abu Bakr Shawky’s road dramedy ‘Yomeddine’—the story of a cured leper who finally leaves his isolated desert colony to embark on a voyage of discovery across the country, tracing his roots with the help of his young orphan apprentice. The young writer/director was joined in the south of France by one of the film’s producers Dina Emam, ‘Yomeddine’ has no confirmed release dates yet.
Yomeddine Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Cold War (Zimna Wojna)
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The Palme d’Or contention on the first Thursday this year was rounded off by writer/director Pawel Pawlikowski’s Polish monochrome romantic drama ‘Cold War’, set in the 1950s behind the iron curtain where a disparate couple from different backgrounds submit themselves to a romance seemingly destined for failure, in an unforgiving time. Eventual best director winner Pawlikowski was on hand along with his stars Borys Szyc, Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot, ‘Cold War’ is out on the 8th of June in Poland, with no UK or US dates yet.
Cold War Cannes interview (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Arctic
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Thursday also brought an out-of-competition screening for Brazilian star YouTuber Joe Penna’s directorial debut ‘Arctic’—the story of a stranded Scandinavian in the Arctic, who embarks on a dangerous survival journey across the frozen wilderness after his hopes of a rescue are dashed by tragedy. ‘Arctic’ is out on the 5th of December in France, with no other dates yet.
Friday the 11th
Ash Is Purest White (Jiang Hu Er Nv)
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China’s sole Palme d’Or contender this year premiered on the first Friday and Cannes in the form of writer/director Jia Zhangke’s decade-spanning crime romance ‘Ash Is Purest White’—a tale of love and loyalty in the midst of violence, following a woman who tracks down her mobster lover after spending hard time in prison for protecting him during a gang war. Zhangke graced the red carpet flanked by his leads Fan Liao and Zhao Tao, ‘Ash Is Purest White’ is out on the 26th of December in France, with no other release dates yet.
Ash Is Purest White at Cannes (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
The Angel (El Ángel)
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Friday also ushered Argentinian cinema into this year’s festival as writer/director Luis Ortega was joined by his stars Peter Lanzani, Mercedes Moran, Lorenzo Ferro, Cecilia Roth and Chino Darin for an ‘Un Certain Regard’ competition screening of ‘The Angel’.
A cinematic portrait of infamous baby-faced Argentine robber and murderer Carlos Robledo Puch, charting his rise as a teenage criminal with a penchant for theft and an unnerving comfort with killing—along with his trusty school friend Ramon, with whom he embarks on a morbid journey of discovery. ‘The Angel’ is out on the 9th of August in Argentina, with no other confirmed dates yet.
The Angel at Cannes (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
My Favorite Fabric (Mon Tissu Préféré)
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Syrian writer/director Gaya Jiji also brought her own ‘Un Certain Regard’ contender to the Riviera on Friday, as she was joined by her actors Metin Akdulger, Saad Lostan, Manal Issa, Nathalie Issa, Mariah Tannoury and Souraya Baghdadivery for a screening of her very personal feature debut ‘My Favourite Fabric’—a coming-of-age story set set in 2011 Damascus at the start of a revolution which would be come a devastating civil war, where a young woman struggles with her desires for personal freedom and the complexities of arranged relationships, while forming an unlikely bond with an new neighbour. ‘My Favorite Fabric’ has no confirmed release dates yet.
My Favorite Fabric at Cannes (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Saturday the 12th
Girls of the Sun (Les Filles du Soleil)
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Following the previous day’s red-carpet protest for female representation staged by 82 of the industry’s leading women, Saturday’s proceedings were capped off by an in-competition screening befitting the ‘#MeToo’ era, as French writer/director Eva Husson debuted her timely war drama ‘Girls of the Sun’—a contemporary tale set in Kurdistan where an all-female battalion prepares to liberate their town from the grip of extremists, hoping to rescue loved one whilst a Western journalist bears witness to their bravery.
Husson was joined on the red carpet by her producer Didar Domehri and stars Emmanuelle Bercot, Golshifteh Farahani and Behi Djanati Atai, ‘Girls of the Sun’ has no current release dates yet.
Girls of the Sun Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Three Faces (Se Rokh)
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The first Saturday at Cannes this year also featured a second Palme d’Or contender (and eventual best screenplay winner) from a director prevented from attending by the politics of his nation, as Jafar Panahi once again circumvented his twenty-year filmmaking ban in Iran by sending his latest realist human drama ‘Three Faces’ to the festival. Featuring the director himself and several stars playing themselves, it tells the story of an Iranian actress and a director who are drawn to a rural village and the aid of a young aspiring actress who is prevented from pursuing her dreams by cultural expectations, only to find that tradition is a mountain not easily conquered. In his absence Panahi was represented by the film’s stars Behnaz Jafari and Marzieh Rezaei, ‘Three Faces’ is out on the 6th of June, with no UK date yet.
Three Faces Cannes interview (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Angel Face (Gueule D’ange)
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French superstar and Cannes regular Marion Cotillard returned to the Côte d’Azur this year on Saturday as the star of Vanessa Filho’s ‘Un Certain Regard’ contender ‘Angel Face’—a sobering mother/daughter story following an eight-year-old girl who must face her neglectful party-animal mother’s demons to get her back, after she abandons her child for a latest wild fling. Director Filho and star Cotillard were joined by the film’s co-stars Alban Lenoir, Ayline Aksoy-Etaix, Amelie Daure and Stephane Rideau, ‘Angel Face’ is out on the 23rd of May in France, with no other confirmed dates yet.
Fahrenheit 451
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Taking advantage of Netflix’s absence and the chance at a major last minute promotional push before the film’s release on the 19th of May, HBO brought director Ramin Bahrani and stars Sofia Boutella, Michael Shannon and Michael B. Jordan for an out-of-competition premiere of their remake of a cautionary classic ‘Fahrenheit 451’—a story set in a dystopian totalitarian future, where a young man begins to question his job burning books deemed dangerous to society, after he meets a spirited young lady.
Sunday the 13th
Happy as Lazzaro (Lazzaro Felice)
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The first of Italy’s two in-competition entries (and co-winner of best screenplay) premiered on Sunday as writer/director Alice Rohrwacher returned to Cannes with her stars Alba Rohrwacher, Nicoletta Braschi, Adriano Tardiolo, Sergi Lopez and David Bennent in tow for the premiere of her allegorical realist Italian fairy tale of innocence ‘Happy as Lazzaro’—the story of a simple and good-natured young peasant and his unlikely friendship with a local noble, which leads to a voyage beyond the confines of their small village into the big modern world, into what seems like another time and place. ‘Happy as Lazzaro’ is out on the 31st of May in Italian cinemas, with no other dates yet.
Happy as Lazzaro Cannes press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku)
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Cannes favourite Hirokazu Kore-eda also returned on the first Sunday with Japan’s first in-competition entry and his latest Palme d’Or-contender (and ultimate winner), signature Japanese family drama ‘Shoplifters’—centred around a struggling family of petty street thieves who take in a young orphan girl, only to have their family bonds tested when challenging secrets are revealed. Kore-eda was in attendance with his stars Kirin Kiki, Jyo Kairi, Lily Franky, Miyu Sasaki, Sakura Ando and Mayu Matsuoka, ‘Shoplifters’ is out on the 8th of June in Japan, with no other UK dates yet.
Shoplifters press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Sink or Swim (Le Grand Bain)
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Sunday also saw an out-of-competition gala premiere for Gilles Lellouche’s ensemble French comedy ‘Sink or Swim’—a mid-life crisis comedy of ‘Full Monty’ proportions about a group of middle-aged men who brave ridicule when they decide to form an all-male synchronized swimming team, enlisting the help of a fallen champion turned coach looking for redemption herself, and discovering much about themselves in the process. Lellouche was joined on the Cannes red carpet by a large cast which included Thamilchelvan Balasingham, Mathieu Amalric, Felix Moati, Mathieu Amalric, Marina Fois, Guillaume Canet, Leila Bekhti, Virginie Efira, Benoit Poelvoorde and Noee Abita, ‘Sink or Swim’ is out on the 24th of October in France, with no UK date yet.
Sink or Swim red carpet (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Week 2 (Next Page)–>
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