13 May-Day 7
Cannes is halfway over
The 50th celebration may have brought more than 8000 spectators into a huddle around the Palais des Festivals, but with the weather's turn to the worse and many a star back in his/her own homestead, Cannes seems to have gotten down to business. Half of the films are yet to be projected as we are midway into this 12 day festival.
The Official Selection billed two European films in competition. Based on the writing's of Primo Levi, La Tregua (The Truce) is to director Francesco Rosi the continuation from where Schlinder's List stopped. Three versions of the film (in English, French and Italian) were filmed to be sure that it would be sold overseas. Rosi claims that European films do not suceed overseas because they are not multilingual. John Turturro, the only American on the team, stars in the role of an ex-prisoner released from a concentration camp.
The second film in competition was La Femme Défendu (The Forbidden Woman) by Philippe Harel, one of the three French films in competition (Assassin(s), Western). Each director has agreed to precede their screening with a 3 minute short called Nous les Sans-Papier de France which looks at France's "green card"/xenophobic problems and adds a note of contention to an otherwise opulent event.
A crazy comedy is being shown this evening out of competition, Welcome to Whoop Whoop by Stephan Elliot whose Priscilla took Cannes off guard two years ago.
All of the first films being shown at the festival in any section (official or parallel) are in the running for a Camera d'or, a prize that began twenty years ago. An international jury, the 97 edition headed by Françoise Arnoul, bestows this official Palm award. Kodak is offering $50,000 towards the preparation of a second film and Dauphin, a billboard campaign worth more than $100,000.
The line-up for 14 May
Official Selection: L.A. Confidential by Curtis Hanson (USA)
Funny Games by Michael Haneke (Austria)
The Well by Samantha Lang (Australian, Camera d'or)
A Certain Regard: ABC Manhattan by Amir Naderi (USA)
The House by Sharunas Bartas (Lithuania/France)
Directors Fortnight: Cosmos by Jennifer Alleyn, Manon Briand...(Canada)
Dakan by Mohamed Camara (Guinea, Camera d'or)
Critics Week Insomnia by Erik Skjoldbjaerg (Norway, Camera d'or)
