dtwo films in competition today: Monsters by Hirozaku Kore-eda: a provincial town overlooking a lake. A single mother, a teacher who takes care of her students, a quiet life. But one day it explodes a fight at school, a trivial contrast between children which progressively extends to the whole of society and which involves the media.
The young protagonists of Monster.
Then, one morning as the storm rages, the children go missing. Palme d’Or in 2018 for A family affair, Kore-eda, which in its prolific career (28 films in 24 years) has touched different genres, is master in the story of relationshipsespecially within the family. Her film is highly anticipated.
Corsica, theater of tragedy
There is then Le retour by Catherine Corsini, another film arriving at Cannes preceded by the controversy over the atmosphere of abuse that would have reigned on the set: Denys Podalydès and Virginie Ledoyen are two rich Parisians, they propose to Khédidja (Aïssatou Diallo Sagna) to take care of the children for a summer in Corsica. For the woman, the proposal represents the opportunity to return with her daughters, Jessica and Farah, to the island that she had left fifteen years earlier in tragic circumstances.
Between screenings and special events Occupied City by Steve McQueen which outlines the portrait of his adopted city, Amsterdam, a place where, in his words: «There always seem to be two or three parallel narratives taking place simultaneously. The past is always present, it’s like living with ghosts». Starting from the book Atlas of an Occupied City (Amsterdam 1940-1945) written by Bianca Stigter, the artist’s wifeMcQueen weaves together the story of the Nazi occupation and a vivid journey through the last few years of pandemic and protest.
Malcolm MacDowell in Caligula.
For those with the gift of ubiquity (the festival has programmed them simultaneously) the Rendez vous with Michael Douglas and with Pedro Almodóvarthe latter preceded by the screening of his medium-length film western Strange Way of Life with Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal. Finally, equipped with 3D glasses, it is worth climbing the montée of the Sala Lumière to see Anselmthe portrait that Wim Wenders dedicated to the artist Anselm Kiefer.
The Goldman trial opens the Fortnight
Also opening its doors today is Un certain Regard – with The animal kingdoms by Thomas Cailley with Romain Duris and Adèle Exarchopoulosthe latter undergoing mutation into a new mysterious species – and La Quinzaine des cinéastes con Le procès Goldman by Cedric Kahn with Arieh Worthalter and Arthur Harari: November 1975, the second trial against Pierre Goldman, far-left activist, sentenced in the first degree to life imprisonment for four armed robberies, one of which had caused the death of two pharmacists. Georges Kiejman, a young lawyer, defends him. Goldman, elusive and provocative, risks capital punishment and makes the outcome of the trial uncertain.
Godard and Caligula, among the classics
Always very rich the proposal of Classics section: today on the plate Le mepris by Jean-Luc Godard And Caligula – The Ultimate Cut written by Gore Vidal and Roberto Rossellini, directed by Tinto Brass, with Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren and Peter O’Toole.
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