On the evening of May 27, the activities of the 76th session of the “ Cannes International Film Festival ” were concluded, bringing the curtain down on a session that was promising a lot, before its launch, due to the big names established in the world of film directing, which brought something new to “Cannes.”Whether within the “main competition,” or other competitions, the hopes raised ended in varying disappointments, due to creative weakness, recycling of ideas, treatment, or the sterility of cinematic renewal, visually and aesthetically. In general, it is noted that the films shown lack originality and weak artistic, intellectual, philosophical and humanitarian presentation, not production. As, out of 21 films in the “main competition”, which included the largest female participation, with a total of 7 films, whose topics varied between political, social, humanitarian and historical, half of the competition’s films, or less, received the approval of critics and journalists, and there was near unanimity of opinions regarding the quality and good selection.
With regard to the official awards for this year’s edition, which were distributed at the Lumière Grand Theater and were awarded based on the decisions of the members of the jury headed by the Swedish director Ruben Östlund, and the membership of the American actor Paul Dano, the American director and actress Brie Larson, and the Moroccan director Maryam Touzani, French actor Denis Ménochet, British-Zambian screenwriter and director Rungano Nyoni, Afghan writer Atiq Rahimi, Argentine director and screenwriter Damian Szifron, and French director Julia Ducornu, most of which are spot on. The Palme d' Or is gone.To the film “Anatomy of a Fall” by Frenchwoman Justine Trier, after her second participation in the festival’s competition, as the first time was in 2019 with the film “Sybil.” The events of “Anatomy of a Fall” revolve around the murder of a husband, and the police’s suspicion that his wife was the one who killed him. Events continue between doubt and certainty, investigations and trials until the truth becomes clear, according to the available evidence. It is noteworthy that the wonderful actress Sandra Holler was expected to win the acting award due to her convincing performance of the role of “Sandra”, the wife of the murdered man.
As for the "Grand Prize", the film "Zone of Interest" went to the British director Jonathan Glazer, for which it also won the "International Federation of Critics" award, or FIPRESI. This is the first time that the director has competed in the festival competition, with a German-speaking film. The events take place in an unconventional way, completely different and completely different from the type of films that dealt with the famous “Auschwitz” camp. The award is very well deserved for the film, which was strongly nominated until the last moments to win the Palme d'Or. Among the films that were strongly nominated for the Palme is “Falling Leaves” by Finnish Aki Kaurismäki, for which he won the “Jury Prize.” The film, within the framework of a black comedy, not devoid of depth, philosophy, and wonderful human touches, deals with a love relationship between a man and a woman from the working class, in an inhumane society.
The “Best Director” award was won by Vietnamese-French Tran Anh Hung, for his film “The Passion of Dudan Buvan.” The film, which is delicate, exciting and sensual, in addition to another film that did not win an award, entitled “The Zero Club” by Austrian Jessica Hausner, is considered one of the very strange films, or out of context, in the festival’s competition program this year. The two films revolve around food, in general, with differences in time, narration, events, and eating. However, “The Passion of Doudin Bouvin,” most of whose events take place in the kitchen, delves deeper into the traditions of French cuisine in the eighteenth century, through one of the skilled chefs, and his ingenuity and magic in presenting the most delicious dishes with his assistant, who suddenly dies, and his life is upended.
As for the “Best Screenplay” award, it went to Japanese screenwriter Sakamoto Yuji. This is based on the screenplay for the movie “Monster” by the well-known Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda. Although the award is somewhat objectionable, given that the idea has been used in other than films. It can be said that the treatment, or artistic directorial approach, and mainly montage, saved the idea from the trap of repetition. Overall, the film deals with the relationship between a teenager and a boy who develops a very deep friendship. One enters the other's world and inhabits it. But before this, the director and screenwriter tell us the reasons that led them to isolate themselves, withdraw from their surroundings, and cling to each other.
Well-deserved and truly deserved, the “Best Actor” award went to the Japanese Koji Yakusho, for his role in the film “The Wonderful Days” by the German Wim Wenders. The film deals with days in the life of Hirayama, a silent public toilet cleaner, who loves reading and photography, and spends his life dedicatedly and with rare sincerity to the work he loves so much. How he was living his life outside of time, almost, until some simple events occurred that changed his usual daily routine. Perhaps it will make him see the world from another bright perspective.
The “Best Actress” award went to Turkish Merv Dizdar. This is for her role in the movie “On Dry Herbs” by Turkish Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Despite the strong, and very sincere, performance of the talented Murphy Dizdar in the role of Nuray, the unruly revolutionary teacher who lost her leg for the sake of her principles, and who only searches for someone who can contain her, even out of friendship, the scope of her role is not at all sufficient to judge her and award her the Best Actress award. At least compared to other heroines in competition films.
The “Golden Camera” award, which is given to the best debut work in any section of the festival, was won by the Vietnamese film “Inside a Yellow Cocoon” by young director Thien An Pham. The events take place in a philosophical, almost mystical, contemplative context about life, death, faith, God, war, and religious persecution in Vietnam. The film's hero, "Thein," must take the remains of his sister-in-law to her hometown, accompanied by his nephew. Which exposes them to difficult situations and confrontations. The film, despite its importance and poetry, is one of the longest films shown at the “Directors’ Half Month” event (180 minutes, approximately).
In the “What Look” section, which is next in importance after the “Main Competition,” which embraces the first experiences of male and female directors, and whose awards receive great attention, and in which 22 films compete, the jury, headed by the American actor John C. Reilly, awarded the film “How We Have Sex.” Britain's Molly Manning Walker won the demonstration award. In which three British teenage girls go alone for a summer vacation, which was supposed to be one of their best vacations, but things go completely unlike expected. The Congolese film “Jinx” won the “Best Promising Director” award. The film deals with the return of a Congolese young man, after many years spent in Belgium, to his hometown of Kinshasa, to face many complications related to customs, traditions, and cultural, societal, religious, and political heritage, which he clashes with and rejects.
Arabic movies
For the second year in a row, Arab films shown in the competition attracted a lot of attention, due to their high artistic level, and even imposed themselves on the event’s awards. The Moroccan film “Gangs” by Kamal Lazraq won the Jury Prize. The film is characterized by a great deal of suspense and tangible professionalism in writing the script, managing the actors, and condensing the events within one day. The director presents a truly strong and distinct visual vision of the worlds of night, gangs and crime in Morocco. The jury described the film as “opening our eyes to realities we live every day.”
Moroccan Asma El-Moder also won the “Best Director” award for her film “White Lies.” The film is innovative and honest. It is characterized by a lot of imagination, and a complex dialectical structure with multiple messages and meanings, humanly, socially, and politically. This is in a smooth transition between the private and the public, the subjective and the objective, memory and history. It can be classified as a documentary or a visual novel drama. The director builds her world using photographs, small wooden and stone models, dolls and puppets, and the art of maquette. It touched on the events of the bloody “Bread Uprising” in Morocco, which took place in the early 1980s.
As for the “Freedom Award,” it went to the Sudanese film “Goodbye, Julia” by Mohamed Kordofani. It is the first participation in the history of Sudan in the activities of the Cannes Film Festival. Through the context of the film and its events, which take place within a social, political and humanitarian context in Khartoum, before the secession of South Sudan from the North, and continuing until after the referendum stage, the strong reasons that qualified it to win, well deservedly, the Freedom Prize, which is awarded for the first time, become clear. The head of the jury said about the film “Goodbye, Julia” that it tells people about freedom, and that this award is a tribute to those who resist all forms of racism and authority, and a call to tell the truth, describing the film as “brilliant and enjoyable.”
It is noteworthy that the Egyptian short film “Issa or I Promise You Paradise” by Mourad Mostafa won the “Golden Rail” Award, which is awarded for the best short film in the “Critics Week” competition. Its events revolve around the courage and humanity of a teenage African refugee residing in Cairo named Issa (17 years old). It is the first Egyptian short film to receive this award.
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