Cannes Film Festival 2023
Premieres & Screenings
Monday the 22nd
Club Zero
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The second week of the official competition this year brought Austrian writer/director and Cannes regular Jessica Hausner back to the festival flanked by her stars Ksenia Devriendt, Luke Barker, Mia Wasikowska, Mathieu Demy, Elsa Zylberstein, Amir El-Masry, Florence Baker and Gwen Currant for a premiere of her latest English language pan-European, dark and lightly satirical look at human nature and troubling trends in modern society ‘Club Zero’.
A tale set in an elite international boarding school rocked by the arrival of a young nutritionist and teacher of “conscious eating” with questionable methods, who creates a strong student following of her ethos of eating less and less to be more healthy, which soon takes a troubling cultlike turn which the parents and other teachers are too slow to notice or address. ‘Club Zero’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Club Zero press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Fallen Leaves (Kuolleet lehdet)
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Monday’s second official competition affair was a Scandinavian one which brought both Finnish cinema and veteran writer/director Aki Kaurismäki back to the Riviera as the Cannes regular brought along his stars Jussi Vatanen, Paula Oinonen and Alma Pöysti, plus producer Misha Jaari for the premiere of the latest of the director’s series of working-class melancholy human drama meditations on modern Finland and the human condition ‘Fallen Leaves’.
A bittersweet contemporary Helsinki dramedy following two lonely locals whose random meeting turns into a first shot at true love for both, which will inevitably be tested by their personal demons, awkward interactions and the obstacles thrown at them by life. ‘Fallen Leaves’ is out on the 20th of September in France, with no other dates yet.
Fallen Leaves press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
The Idol
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As further evidence that even the world’s biggest film festival can’t escape the TV and streaming revolution, American HBO series ‘The Idol’ and one of its episodes was a star attraction in Monday’s out-of-competition premieres, as series creator and skilful raconteur of American youth Sam Levinson brought along his stars Lily-Rose Depp and pop-star The Weeknd, plus some accompanying controversy to the Riviera faithful.
Billed as a sleazy Hollywood love story and a clear reflection of our current voyeuristic, scandal and celebrity obsessed society and its parasitic media, it tells the tale of a fictitious yet familiar young troubled American pop icon who tries to reverse a potential downfall when she meets a dodgy promoter with whom she begins a sordid relationship, taking her to the brink of an excessive lifestyle and living a public life like an open wound. ‘The Idol’ begins streaming on HBO Max on the 4th of June.
The Idol red carpet (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Tuesday the 23rd
Asteroid City
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The second Tuesday at the Riviera this year brought a singular filmmaking talent and festival favourite back to Cannes when American writer/director Wes Anderson assembled his latest extraordinary cast of talents including Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Hope Davis, Bryan Cranston, Matt Dillon, Steve Carell, Rupert Friend, Jason Schwartzman and Maya Hawke, plus composer Alexandre Desplat on the red carpet for an official competition premiere of his latest delightfully droll and stylishly quirky take on the human condition ‘Asteroid City’.
A tall tale centred on an idiosyncratic collection of students and astronomers of the mid-1950s gathered in the American desert for a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention, which takes on a whole new significance with the arrival of out-of-world events. ‘Asteroid City’ is out in UK and US cinemas on the 23rd of June.
Asteroid City press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Kidnapped (Rapito)
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Italian cinema also got its time in the Cannes official competition sun on Tuesday when writer/director and longtime Cannes regular Mario Bellocchio returned to the festival in reflective papal period mode for the premiere of his political and religious historical costume drama ‘Kidnapped’.
A true story mid-19th century Italian chronicle of a young boy and his Jewish family in Bologna, who are torn apart when the secret baptism of their son by a nurse soon snowballs into a political and legal struggle against the wavering but still powerful Catholic church, after they claim ownership of the boy’s destiny and forcibly take him to be raised as a Christian. Bellocchio was flanked on the red carpet by his stars Paolo Pierobon, Fausto Russo Alesi, Barbara Ronchi, Enea Sala and Leonardo Maltese, ‘Kidnapped’ is out now in Italy, with no UK or US dates yet.
Kidnapped press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Kubi (首)
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Away from the competitions the pick of Tuesday’s proceedings brought Japanese cinema and one of its greatest and most prolific stars back to the festival, as writer/director/actor Takeshi Kitano was flanked by his stars Shido Nakamura, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Nao Omori, Ryo Kase, Kazuko Wakayama and Tadanobu Asano for a Cannes premiere of their feudal samurai epic ‘Kubi’.
Set in 16th century Japan in the midst of feuding warlords and one trying to control them all only to be betrayed by one of his vassals, as he puts his remaining lords on the traitor’s trail only to unleash a web of deceit, betrayal and ambition, with all roads leading to a sacred temple where the fate of the country will be decided. ‘Kubi’ is out on the 6th of October in Japan, with no other dates yet.
Kubi photocall (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Wednesday the 24th
The Pot-au-Feu (La Passion de Dodin Bouffant)
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Wednesday number two this year saw more homegrown participation in the official competition, by way of Vietnam as writer/director Trần Anh Hùng explored his adoptive country’s past by adding a romantic flavour with the premiere of French period culinary costume drama ‘The Pot au Feu’.
A late 19th century French tale which brings together a celebrated chef and his longtime assistant/protege, whose 20 year professional relationship slowly turns into something more romantic, as they eschew a traditional courtship and potential marriage for something more meaningful to them—finally cooking for each other. Trần was joined on the red carpet by his cast and crew Juliette Binoche, Pierre Gagnaire, Sidonie Dumas, Olivier Delbosc and Benoit Magimel, ‘The Pot-au-Feu’ is out on the 8th of November in France, with no UK date yet.
The Pot-au-Feu press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
A Brighter Tomorrow (Il Sol Dell’Avvenire)
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The second Italian contender at the official competition this year was an ode to filmmaking and its trials and tribulations brought to the Riviera faithful by writer/director/actor and returning Cannes regular Nanni Moretti with a premiere of ‘A Brighter Tomorrow’.
A film about films but also a historically grounded self-reflection for star and director Moretti, following a renowned Italian filmmaker whose personal troubles pile on top of his professional ones and the pressures of an industry in flux to throw his latest project into turmoil—a film about the effect of the USSR’s aggressions on the Italian communist party of the 1950s. Moretti was flanked on the red carpet by his producers and his stars Zsolt Anger, Barbora Bobulova, Margherita Buy and Mathieu Amalric, ‘A Brighter Tomorrow’ is out now in Italy, with no UK date yet.
A Brighter Tomorrow press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Kennedy
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The day’s big out-of-competition affair brought Indian cinema of the non-music & dance variety to Cannes as director Anurag Kashyap brought India’s answer to the stylish and stylised British, American and Asian crime action/thriller to the Riviera for the premiere of ‘Kennedy’. A modern Indian crime thriller centred on a ruthless insomniac ex-cop who was long thought to be dead but is instead active and working for a corrupt system, yet looking is for redemption . . . in all the wrong places. Kashyap was flanked on the red carpet by his stars Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhat, ‘Kennedy’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Kennedy red carpet (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Thursday the 25th
Perfect Days
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Thursday’s official competition proceedings brought more Japanese cinema to the festival by way of Germany when exceedingly versatile and well-travelled writer/director Wim Wenders made his second Cannes appearance this year, to add to the many in years past, joined by his stars Aoi Yamada, Min Tanaka, Wim Wenders, Kôji Yakusho and Arisa Nakano, plus producer Koji Yanai for the premiere of their reflective pandemic era life-affirming drama ‘Perfect Days’. A signature working class human drama centred around a happy Tokyo area toilet cleaner and amateur photographer, who finds joy in everyday life and lives his best life indulging in his passion for music and literature, and sharing it with the unexpected people he meets. ‘Perfect Days’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Perfect Days press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Last Summer (L’Été Dernier)
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The day’s other official competition screening was a domestic affair which brought French writer/director Catherine Breillat back to Cannes to try and break more taboos along with producer Said Ben Said and her stars Olivier Rabourdin, Clotilde Courau, Lea Drucker and Samuel Kircher for the premiere of their confronting and adulterous family drama ‘Last Summer‘.
A contemporary and understandably controversial domestic drama and romantic thriller, centred on successful middle-aged child protection lawyer who puts her career and personal life in jeopardy after she begins an affair with her husband’s teenage son from a previous marriage. ‘Last Summer’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Last Summer press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Cobweb (Geomijib)
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The pick of the day’s other events came in the out-of-competition screenings and in the form of South Korean cinema when writer/director Kim Jee-woon made his Cannes debut with a premiere of his film about filmmaking and ode to its process ‘Cobweb’.
An experimental concoction and genre-blending drama centred on a Korean director and his struggles in the 70s to complete a chaotic shoot, after changing the ending of his film and dealing with the fallout of his artistic decisions. Kim was joined on the Cannes red carpet by his stars Song Kang-Ho, Oh Jung-Se, Im Soo-Jung, Jeon Yeo-Been, Krystal Jung, Park Jeong-Su and Jang Young-Nam, ‘Cobweb’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Cobweb press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Friday the 26th
The Old Oak
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The final day of screenings in the official competition this year brought UK cinema back across the channel in the form of veteran voice of the British working classes and master of social realism director Ken Loach, as the the Cannes stalwart treated the Riviera faithful to his latest (and possibly last) human drama critique of globalism, capitalism and the British ruling classes ‘The Old Oak’.
A meditation on modern Britain and a cinematic call for compassion centred on a pub in a once thriving mining town now in permanent decline, the centre of a local community and the last local, hanging on by a thread as the village is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of Syrian refugees with little hope themselves who inadvertently inflame tensions and divisions, only for two communities to unexpectedly find understanding in common human ground. Loach was joined on the red carpet by his screenwriter Paul Laverty, producer Rebecca O’Brien, and stars Ebla Mari and Dave Turner. ‘The Old Oak’ has no UK or US dates yet.
The Old Oak red carpet (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
La Chimera
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The second of Friday’s official competition screenings was an Italian cinema affair which saw writer/director and Cannes regular Alice Rohrwacher return to the festival with her producers Paolo Del Brocco and Carlo Cresto-Dina, plus her stars Isabella Rossellini, Alba Rohrwacher, Carol Duarte, Josh O’Connor and Vincenzo Nemolato for the premiere of their idiosyncratic pan-European produced Italian adventure ‘La Chimera’.
A colourful Italian odyssey titled after that which one seeks but never manages to find, it follows a grieving archaeologist who seeks redemption though a voyage of discovery, chasing a group of grave robbers and artifact hunters to find a priceless relic which may open all the doors he’s looking for. ‘La Chimera’ has no confirmed dates yet.
La Chimera press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Hypnotic
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The big out of competition screening on Friday ended up being a late promotional opportunity for a film already out by the festival’s start, and was a Hollywood but off the beaten track production of the mystery/thriller variety with an extra sensory dimension from writer/director Robert Rodriguez, who was joined on the red carpet by his producers Gareth West, Rebel Rodriguez, Artur Galstian, Racer Rodriguez and Vahan Yepremyan, plus star William Fichtner but minus lead Ben Affleck for the presentation of ‘Hypnotic’.
A twisting, reality bending hynpotic vs hypnotic crime thriller starring Affleck as a detective sinking deeper into an investigation of mysterious crimes linked to the search for his missing daughter, which pulls him deep into a conspiracy and a troubling government programme. ‘Hypnotic’ is out now in cinemas.
Hypnotic red carpet (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Saturday the 27th
Elemental
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The final day of the 76th version of Cannes may not have had a premiere schedule but was nevertheless busy as always, packing in the award ceremony (which is summarised on the next page) and followed by the festival’s big closing film, which this year was another big Disney•Pixar moral lesson-teaching animated family fantasy affair named ‘Elemental’.
An opposites attract, difference and inclusion metaphor which anthropomorphises the planet’s essential elements and places them as citizens of a city (ala Zootopia), where a young fire woman and young water man with different personalities develop a friendship, challenging each other’s beliefs about the world in which they live and realising that what unites them is greater than what might divide them. The film’s director Peter Sohn and Pixar chief/producer Pete Docter were joined on the red carpet by producer Denise Ream, plus their voice stars Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, ‘Elemental’ is out in cinemas on the 16th of June in the US and on the 7th of July in the UK.
Elemental photocall (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Cannes 2023 Awards (Next Page)–>
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