Thursday, June 17, 2021

60th Semaine de la Critique Selection


A few days back organizers announced via video on social media the Festival de Cannes parallel section that always has unconventional films to say the least. As this year waited a while the English version of this year events are all available; so, let's start with the graphic identity.

The Poster

As we recall, la Semaine de la Critique is dedicated to dicovering new talents and has been exploring filmmakers' work from around the world for 60 years. It conveys here both its passion for arthouse films and new kinds of genre films; and, focused on first and second features from the beginning, is always thirlled to enter directors' deliciously radical works.

On the poster of the 60th edition of La Semaine de la Critique, It Follows, David Robert Mitchell's second feature film, presented at the 2014 edition This. picture by photographer François Fontaine is a tribute to the energy La Semaine de la Critique, as it is celebrating its 60th anniversary, puts into discovering short films and features alike, looking for the future of cinema.

Poster was cone with the collaboration of Les Bons Faiseurs agency and particurlarly shows the characters dashing towards their destiny. Genre films are full of parallel worlds that reflect their generation, playful yet unbelievably sharp harbingers of the times to come.

The News

There are some interesting news about organizers as of August 1st, 2021 current Artistic Director, Charles Tesson will be replaced with Ava Cahen who becomes the youngest Artistic Director ever. In 2016, at the age of 30, she became the youngest selection committee member in the history of la Semaine de la Critique and joined the French Union of Film Critics. She has been a dedicated member of the feature film selection committee under the artistic direction of Charles Tesson.

So, the 60th edition becomes the last for Charles Tesson who had the helm since the 2012 Semaine de la Critique.

The Jury

The president of the jury of this anniversary edition is Cristian Mungiu, the first Romanian director to have won the Palme d’Or at the 2007 Cannes Film festival with 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, his second feature film. He is joined by actress and singer Camélia Jordana, producer Didar Domehri, artistic director of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Karel Och and consultant Michel Merkt.

President: Cristian Mungiu, director, screenwriter and producer, Romania
Didar Domehri, producer, France
Camélia Jordana, actress, writer, music composer and performer, Frnce
Michel Merkt, consultant and producer, France
Karel Och, festival artistic director, Czech Republic

The Selection


They received 1,620 short films and watched 1,000 features. Each category counts about 30% female directors and 70% male directors. Among the 13 feature films we selected, there are 11 first films and 2 second films, 7 films by female directors. All 7 competing films are first features.

Competition

Amparo, Simón Mesa Soto, Colombia, Sweden, Germany and Qatar
Feathers, Omar El Zohairy, France, Egypt, Netherlands and Greece
The Gravedigger's Wife, Khadar Ayderus Ahmed, Finland, Germany and France
Libertad, Clara Roquet, Spain and Belgium
Olga, Elle Grappe, Switzerland, Ukraine and France
Piccolo Corpo (Small Body), Laura Samani, Italy, France and Slovenia
Rien à foutre (Zero Fucks Given), Julie Lecoustre and Emmanuel Marre, Belgium and France

Special Screenings
Opening Film: Robuste, Constance Meyer, France
Closing Film: Une histoire d’amour et de désir (A Tale of Love and Desire), Leyla Bouzid, France
Bruno Reidal (Bruno Reidal, Confession of a Murderer), Vincent Le Port, France
Petite nature (Softie), Samel Theis, France
Un jeune fille qui va bien (A Radiant Girl), Sandrine Kiberlain, France

60th Aniversary Special Screening
Les Amours d’Anaïs (Anaïs in Love), Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet, France

Short Films
Brutalia, Days of Labour, Manolis Mavris, Greece and Belgium
Duo Li (Lili Alone), Zuo Jing, China, Hong Kong and Singapore
访客 Fang Ke (An Invitation), Hao Zhao and Yeung Tung, China
Inherent, Nicolai G.H. Johansen, Denmark
Interfon 15, Andrei Epure, Romania
Ma Shelo Nishbar (If It Ain't Broke), Elinor Nechemya, Israel
Noir-soleil, Marie Larrivé, France
Safe, Ian Barling, USA
Soldat Noir, Jimmy Laporal-Trésor, France
Über Wasser (On Solid Ground), Jela Hasler, Switzerland

Invitation to Morelia International Film Festival
Selection of 4 short films
Bisho, Pablo Giles, Mexico and USA, 24'
La Oscuridad, Jorge Sistos Moreno, Mexico and USA, 12'
Pinky Promise, Indra Villaseñor Amador, Mexico, 15'
Un Rostro Cubierto de Besos (A Face Full of Kisses), Mariano Renterria Garnica, Mexico, 14'

The Video
Charles Tesson presents la Semaine de la Critique Selection. If you need English subtitles press cc button in control panel

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