The presence of five African films in the official selection, including two in the running for the Palme d’Or, is the big surprise of the 2023 edition of the largest film festival in the world. During the presentation, this Thursday, April 13, general manager Thierry Frémaux also underlined the strong comeback of Italy with three films, the double return of German director Wim Wenders and sent a personal invitation to Martin Scorsese to enter the competition. .
In 2023, a new chapter opens at the Cannes Film Festival for filmmakers from the African continent, with the presence of films from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and East Africa. Thierry Frémaux, general manager and conductor of the programming, spoke of a ” new generation, including many female directors “. Indeed, two of the six directors in the running for the Palme d’Or are African. Never seen.
Until now, an African director in the official selection was often considered an exception, and the Festival often paid tribute to the deans of African cinema through this most prestigious selection in the world. The 2023 edition will change the game. ” There is a before and an after Cannes “, had rightly noticed Iris Knobloch, the new president of the Festival.
Ramata-Toulaye Sy and Kaouther Ben Hania enter the running for the Palme d’Or
This change of era is embodied by Ramata-Toulaye Sy. The young Senegalese director has just made a fairy tale by succeeding with her first film, Banel and Adama, a competition entry at the Cannes Film Festival with its actors Mamadou Diallo and Khady Mane. A feat all the more breathtaking that she had made her first short film, Astel, awarded at the Short Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand, than in 2021.
The thrills of being in the running for the Palme d’Or for the first time will be shared by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania. After impressing in 2017 with Beauty and the Pack in the Un certain regard section at Cannes and in 2020 with The man who sold his skin in competition at the Venice Film Festival, she will present a documentary film, Olfa’s daughtersto the jury presided over by the twice-palmed Swedish director Ruben Östlund.
And this new wave of African cinema is also unfolding with force in the prestigious Un certain regard section, which is also part of the official selection. And there, there are still three first films which have succeeded in breaking through and which will inevitably bring freshness and novelty. Sudanese Mohamed Kordofani will present Goodbye Julia. Congolese Baloji Tshiani has been selected for Augur (“ Omen “). And the Moroccan Kamal Lazraq is part of this prestigious list with packs.
To this firework of African cinema at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, we could even add a sixth film, the work Omar the Strawberry, “an iconoclastic and original vision of Algiers”, a comedy scheduled in the Midnight Screenings category, by Franco-Algerian Elias Belkeddar. Born in Paris, he often returns in his films to the country of his Algerian father.
Wim Wenders’ “Monsieur Pipi” in Tokyo
Beyond this immense African surprise, we will naturally find many sure values or even already palmed in competition, such as the master of social film Ken Loach (The Old Oak), Turkish filmmaker-philosopher Nuri Bilge Ceylan (dry herbs), Japanese news item virtuoso Hirokazu Kore-eda (Monster). Finnish cult director Aki Kaurismaki, Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for The man without a pastresurfaced with a work with a promising title: Dead leaves.
Wim Wenders, formerly Palme d’Or for Paris, Texasreturns out of competition with a documentary on the world-famous German sculptor Anselm Kiefer, but also presents an incongruous film in competition. Perfect Days tells the story of a happy “Mister Pee” who cleans public toilets in Tokyo while listening to rock music.
The comeback of Italy and the United States
Italy has obviously been able to convince the selection committee. The latter chose three Italian films from the more than 2,000 candidate films. Nanni Moretti, Alice Rohrwacher and Marco Bellocchio will be in the running for the Palme d’Or. And the United States, often seen as simply a supplier of stars for the red carpet parades, also displays an unusual presence in competition. The films of Wes Anderson (Asteroid City) and Todd Haynes (May-December) will perhaps be accompanied by the new creation of the legendary Martin Scorsese. For now, the legendary director of Taxi Driver has yet to confirm if he wants to enter the sometimes daunting arena of competition with Killers of the Flow Moona production with the two living legends of cinema, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert de Niro.
Trần Anh HungJustine Triet and Catherine Breillat
The presence of French films in competition seems rather weak this year, even if the cast of the three feature films in the running seems promising: Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel will play The passion of Dodin Bouffant Franco-Vietnamese Tràn Anh Hung; German star Sandra Hüller and Swann Arlaud (César for best actor for Little Peasant) will do theAnatomy of a fall by Justine Triet. And, after some health concerns, the director Catherine Breillat is back in force with her sulphurous reputation by presenting Last summerthe story of a lawyer, mother of two little girls, who will live an adventure with the 17-year-old son from her husband’s first marriage.
The 76th Cannes Film Festival will open on May 16 with a film presented as a world premiere, but out of competition. Jeanne du Barry recounts the rise and fall of the favorite of King Louis XV. This historical fresco produced and interpreted by Maïwenn alongside Johnny Depp, Melvil Poupaud, Pascal Greggory and India Hair, will be released the same day in French cinemas.