Cannes News

As requested by my photographer friend here are some news from the festival that will start next Wednesday. These are news from the last 24 hours only…

Cannes selects Triangle

Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Johnnie To’s Hong Kong-Chinese cop caper Triangle is an 11th hour addition to the Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection after Chinese board of censors approved the film to travel outside the country. Will participate out of competition.

India for everyone at Cannes

Seven Indian films will be screened at the festival: Saira (Malayalam), Missed Call (Hindi/English), Guru (Hindi) -LOVED THIS FILM-, Dosar (Bengali), Veyil (Tamil), Dharm (Hindi) and Lage Raho Munnabhai (Hindi).

Latest news: two other Indian films will be screened Mozhi (Tamil) and Cheenikum (Hindi).

India loves to party, as is a partner country at the festival opening dinner and will host the India Party at the Majestic Beach … just in case you feel like going is on May 18. Sad news Aishwayra Rai is not going as she is busy filming!

Angola: Movie “O Heroi” at Cannes Film Festival

Angola will represent African cinema for the second time, which is unprecedented in the festival’s history, since no other of its 60 editions has had the privilege to repeat the feat. Directed by Zézé Gamboa tells the story of Victório (Oumar Makena Diop) a former soldier that tries to restart his life after civil war that devastated the country. The movie got an award in the 24th Sundance Film Festival for best fiction and the Public Prize at the 3 Continent Festival of Nantes, France. This is a Angola, Portugal and French production.

Two Lebanese filmmakers make it to Cannes Film Festival

The Director’s Fortnight section will screen Sukar Banat (Caramel) by Nadine Labaki and Un Homme Perdu (A Lost Man) by Danielle Arbid.

Caramel is a comedy about five Lebanese women from different generations and religious backgrounds who meet in a Beirut beauty salon and they use the caramel to wax their legs. Layal played by Nadine Labaki works in the beauty salon and has an affair with a married man, Nisrine a Christian is set to wed a Muslim, Rima is a lesbian and Jamal frets about growing old.

Un Homme Perdu is about a French photographer who travels the world researching extreme experiences and along the way he meets with a mysterious, solitary man who disappeared from Lebanon 17 years earlier.

Tarr spreads Hungarian film revival with Cannes return

It has been 19 years since a Hungarian film last feature in the main competition, but this year iconic filmmaker Bela Tarr will finally win through with A Londoni Ferfi (The Man from London) that is based on a story by Inspector Maigret creator Georges Simenon, tells the tale of a railway switchman who witnesses a murder on a nearby dockside and then appropriates a suitcase full of money left behind.

The film starts Britain’s Tilda Swinton, Czech Republic’s Miroslav Krobot, and Hungary’s Janos Derzi.

So, it seems that from next Wednesday we will be watching French TV.

Just little gossip to have little fun:

Brand Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Matt Damon will be at the premiere of Oceans 13. Norah Jones to attend festival along with Jude Law and Natalie Portman. Alain Delon will be an honorary host to the festival. Cannes figures: in the kitchen around 2 tons of lobsters and 3 tons of fish; in the bar 15,000 bottles of champagne and 8,500 bottles of grands crus –just at the Majestic.

And to top everything else, Luc Besson is organizing free screenings of films participating in the festival. The outdoor screenings will be in 10 villes de banlieue parisienne! Will take place at the same time as the festival. Well, this is a valid excuse to finally decide and go to Paris and visit Saint-Denis, Champigny-sur-Marne, Chanteloup-les-Vignes and any other of the 7 villes.