Latest news with #ThierryFrémaux
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Does The Cannes Film Festival Have Against Documentaries?
Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux entered the room with a martial bearing, his square jaw tilted upwards in the manner of a man who need not doubt his significance. He came to the Salon des Ambassadeurs within the Palais to make a few remarks before the awarding of the annual l'Oeil d'or (Golden Eye) award for the festival's top documentary, as selected by a jury. Before an audience of perhaps a hundred or more nonfiction film lovers, he stated what must be considered unquestionable: More from Deadline 'Imago' Wins L'Oeil d'Or Prize For Top Documentary At Cannes; Julian Assange Film Wins Special Jury Prize For l'Oeil d'Or 10th Anniversary 'The Six Billion Dollar Man' Review: Timely Documentary Shows Julian Assange As Truth Teller Fighting Against Authoritarian Drift – Cannes Film Festival Patrick Wachsberger's 193 Locks Post-Cannes Deals On Multiple Pics Including 'Die My Love' & Colman Domingo's Directorial Debut 'Scandalous!' 'Documentaries are a minority within the Cannes Film Festival. There have been documentaries in the past, but very few,' Frémaux acknowledged, before adding, 'But it's true that over the past few years, there have been many more.' He went on to say, '[With] your minority status, you can always feel a little oppressed. You are not. I can reassure you right away that there is proof. The proof, this prize; the proof, this jury, these people who are here.' Those comforting sentiments aside, it's hard to argue with the evidence that Cannes sees documentary as secondary within the septième art, or 7th Art, as the French sometimes call cinema. Of the more than 20 films selected for official competition, not a single one was a documentary. Given that only films In Competition are eligible for the Palme d'or, that means nonfiction films came in with no chance of winning the festival's most coveted prize. (In Cannes history only two docs have won the Palme d'or – in 2004, for Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, which was probably awarded more for the film's political message than its cinematic qualities; and in 1956 for The Silent World, the oceanographic film directed by Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle). Two years ago, it appeared Cannes might be turning a corner in its view of documentary as cinema – inviting not one but two nonfiction films to screen in Competition: Kaouther Ben Hania's Four Daughters and Wang Bing's Youth (Spring). But then last year it reverted to form, omitting any docs from Competition, a pattern repeated this year. Before 2023, it had been almost 20 years – the Fahrenheit 9/11 year – that Cannes had deigned to admit a documentary to Competition. Venice and Berlin, the two other most prestigious European festivals, have displayed much less tendency to segregate documentary from fictional cinema. Indeed, the Berlinale's Golden Bear has gone to a documentary three times in the last decade: Dahomey, directed by Mati Diop (2024); On the Adamant, directed by Nicolas Philibert (2023), and Fire at Sea, directed by Gianfranco Rosi (2016). Jafar Panahi's Taxi, sometimes described as docufiction, won the Golden Bear in 2015. In 2022, the Golden Lion – Venice's top prize – went to the documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, directed by Laura Poitras. Going back to cinema's roots in the late 19th century, the first projected films were essentially documentaries – often referred to as 'actualities' back then. Among them were very brief shorts directed by the French Lumière Brothers – Auguste and Louis – 'Exiting the Lumière Factory in Lyon' (1895) and 'Fishing for Goldfish' (1895). Nanook of the North, the 1922 silent directed by Robert Flaherty, is considered the first documentary feature. Dziga Vertov's documentary Man with a Movie Camera (1929) has been voted one of the greatest movies of all time – nonfiction or fiction. Cannes' l'Oeil d'or prize has only been around for 10 years. This year, the honor went to Imago, directed by Chechen filmmaker Déni Oumar Pitsaev, a film that premiered in Critics Week (Semaine de la Critique) the unofficial Cannes sidebar. 'It's nice that there are more and more documentaries in Cannes,' Pitsaev told me after winning the l'Oeil d'or, 'but it's maybe time that we're not in the back room, but that it's considered just cinema. Wasn't cinema born in documentary as well?' Un Certain Regard, an official Cannes sidebar, likewise gave no love to docs. 'It's 20 films,' Pitsaev noted, 'and no documentaries.' The Critics Week jury, comprised of Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya and others, awarded the French Touch Prize to Imago, praising its subtlety: 'It observes but never insists, listens but never forces, captures but never encloses.' The film was edited by Laurent Sénéchal, the Oscar-nominated editor of Anatomy of a Fall, and fellow award winner Dounia Sichov. Pitsaev said he always meant the film to be cinematic (and thus worthy to be in the company of scripted films). 'The film was financed as a work of cinema, not just a documentary,' he said. 'The film was also helped by Arte Cinema, not just Television, but Arte Cinema. People typically ask me, 'When is it going to be on TV?' and I just remind them first it's going to be a theatrical release, so end of October it's going to be released in cinemas in France. We're more than happy that people can see the film on a big screen as it was planned. All the collective of the image and also sound, all the work we did, it's done for cinema, to have the full theatrical experience.' Cannes does have a section partly devoted to documentary films – Cannes Classics, which programs nonfiction films oriented towards cinema history, directors, and actors. This year's lineup included Welcome to Lynchland, a film about David Lynch directed by Stéphane Ghez; Bo Being Bo Widerberg, a doc about the Swedish filmmaker directed by Jon Asp and Mattias Nohrborg, and Slauson Rec, a film about Shai LaBeouf's free theater company in L.A. directed by Leo Lewis O'Neil. Cannes also slated a couple of documentaries in other sections. Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5, Raoul Peck's film about author George Orwell, bowed as a 'Cannes Premiere,' and The Six Billion Dollar Man, Eugene Jarecki's documentary about Julian Assange and Wikileaks, was slotted as a 'Special Screening.' The Six Billion Dollar Man won a Special Jury Prize in honor of the 10th anniversary of l'Oeil d'or. 'I do think this is a seismic development within the Cannes Film Festival, my movie aside,' Jarecki told me after winning the award. 'Just the fact that you can feel the festival leaning into documentary much more than ever before, leaning into the serious issues that are flying around the world right now. If you look at what showed at the festival this year, the dedication of the festival to Fatima [Hassouna, a Palestinian photojournalist killed in Gaza], there's extremely important stuff going on. And I think the way the psyche of the festival has shifted, we need that… We need more and more people to step up and get concerned and get engaged. And I came here not knowing what to expect of that, of how a festival of poetry and fantasy and romance would be dealing with a modern era where we all have such grave concerns, and they're leaning into it.' If Jarecki is right and Cannes takes a more serious turn in the direction of documentary, it can demonstrate that by selecting nonfiction films for Competition. We'll see if that happens in 2026. Comme disons les français, on verra. On the basis of past history, I would argue Cannes remains all about poetry, fantasy, and romance as embodied by the spectacle of the red carpet (le tapis rouge) and the stars ascending the stairs to the Palais, where they are typically greeted by Thierry Frémaux. That's the beating heart of Cannes. Documentaries, for the most part, lack the inherent glamour that constitutes Cannes' true identity. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Stranger Things' Season 5 So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AfroCannes 2025 To Explore Afro-Futurism & African Innovation In Film
AfroCannes is leaning into Afro Futurism with its 2025 lineup. Since launching in 2022, AfroCannes and its AfroBerlin sibling have become spaces to discuss and celebrate narratives from Africa and the African diaspora against the backdrop of a major film festival. More from Deadline Cannes Chief Thierry Frémaux Addresses Trump's Tariffs: "Cinema Always Finds A Way Of Existing & Reinventing Itself" Wolfe Video Announces LGBTQ Streaming Strategy, Promotes Evan Schwartz To Head Of Content Kal Penn, Booboo Stewart & Nicole Elizabeth Berger To Lead Underground Chess Thriller 'Contra' Its organizer, the not-for-profit Yanibes Foundation, said this year's theme 'underscores the transformative power of Afro-Futurism' and will focus on African storytelling and culture and as well as identity and innovation. The event spans panels, screenings, networking, and showcases on specific countries. The 2025 edition includes 'In Conversation' sessions with filmmakers including: Aaron Rashaan Thomas, Camille Pitanga, Gordon Bobb, Frédéric Chau, Syrinthia Studer and Luis Lomenha. There will be panels homing in on topics including the new Nigerian film industry, the connections between Africa and Asia with Dr. Pushpinder Chowdhry and others, inclusion, a focus on Afro-German filmmakers, and a fireside chat with producer and explorer Ernest White II. 'Beyond the glitz and glam of the Cannes Film Festival, AfroCannes highlights the importance of representation— it isn't just about who's on the stage, it's about who's in the room,' the organizers said ahead of this year's event. 'Whether you're attending for professional growth or artistic inspiration, AfroCannes offers a front-row seat to the future of film, and the beauty and depth that is Black creatives and industry professionals within the industry.' The crowd at AfroCannes comprises filmmakers, producers, actors, casting directors, and financiers. It's free to attend (but requires pre-registration). This year it will be held at the Villa des Ministres in Cannes. The event runs May 15 through 19. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Resurrection' Review: Is This an Endurance Test or Imaginative, Boundary-Defying Cinema? You Decide!
It is brutally unfair that Thierry Frémaux programmed 'Resurrection' on day ten of the Cannes Film Festival when we, the remaining press foot soldiers on the ground, are holding onto our critical faculties by a hair. To say that this film is impenetrable is an understatement. It feels for long stretches like the fourth film by Chinese experimentalist Bi Gan has been designed to lock us out of our own brains, forcing us to wade through the treacly sludge of bored incomprehension amidst the nagging suspicion that we are not so cineliterate after all. The film opens in a playful and straightforward manner, before launching into a digressive metatextual sprawl that I cannot in good faith claim to have grasped. In the absence of being able to confidently frame this film, all I can do is describe it and hope for the lulls us into a false sense of familiarity with an opening built on flamboyant silent cinema techniques. Dramatic piano chords are stuck alongside sepia title cards that are pleasantly full of exclamation marks. Like in a Guy Maddin film!! These title cards describe a parallel universe where nobody dreams any more except for the fantomes. Dreams turn fantomes into monsters because holding onto illusions makes reality too painful. One fascinated woman is seeking the fantome hiding in the forgotten past in order to bring him into the future. Sure, why not. You gotta try that at least a cross between Nosferatu and Uncle Fester, the monster first appears with a tray of poppies at an opium bar. The woman shows him how ugly he is by compelling him to look into the mirrored surface of her eye. (Mean!) He flees in shame and she takes off after him through a German Expressionist film set, all shadows and angles and puffs of smoke. So far, so caper-tastic. As will be his fate across all mediums and timelines, the monster becomes bloodied and vulnerable. Not a natural caregiver, the woman carefully loads 35mm film into his head. Now we're in a film noir and the monster is a beautiful, baffled young man contending with some nasty scratches across his torso. This is where plot particulars become over-involved and difficult to parse. The monster is under investigation because he hurt a man in self defence. A suitcase holds significance. The lead detective is out for the monster's blood. In the absence of discernible narrative tracks, there is always the image. These are blue tinged, rainy, full of smoke and mirrors. In a stand-out scene, the detective shoots at the monster in a roomful of mirrors and only succeeds in shattering his reflections. Is this a reference to Orson Welles' 'The Lady from Shanghai' or am I reaching for a reference to regain my lost sense of authority as a film writer?Well, it's about to happen is a flavour of Mark Cousins' 'The Story of Film' and Jean Luc Godard's 'Histoire Du Cinema' to this portmanteau of film eras and styles — with a few crucial distinctions. There is no narrator to steer and soothe our souls. And instead of clips from existing films, Gan has shot new material for 'Resurrection' in the style of the era they mimic. Furthermore the sequences he unfolds are not clips but long, involved, stories hinting at unknowable worlds beyond. We are dropped into something without the means to orientate ourselves or know what we should be seeking to one can grapple with why everyone is against the monster in this timeline, now, for some reason two men are having a long conversation in the snow and one man has bashed out his tooth because it contains the spirit of the other. Does that sound right? What does this have to do with fantomers? Who is that small boy wearing a blindfold?It is not easy to say whether the turgid arcs within each micro story is a choice or an oversight. Bi Gan proves himself review proof. If you can't identify a film's intention how can you review whether it pulled them off or not? Is Bi Gan forcing us to confront and interrogate the desire to emotionally connect with film characters? Or has he simply not thought any of this continues — oh how it continues. After spending an interminably long time with several men in a film aesthetic too bland to be pinned to a genre, we're in a neon drenched vampire story. There's a whole new gang that the camera seems intimate with — can they really all be strangers? Are we supposed to know them from another timeline? Does any of this matter?Back to the image. Violence is a constant. Bloodshed is a constant. Smoke and rain and loose ends are a constant. The brain wants to situate the images in a structure or find an internal pattern but all there is is chaos and there is no reality to root for. Is this a life without dreams? Was this Bi Gan's point all along? Is this impressive, boundary-pushing, experimental cinema or an endurance test with no internal logic where the chief pleasure is leaving the theater afterwards? Could it be both? 'Resurrection' premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution. More from IndieWire These Cannes 2025 Prize Winners Will Inspire Oscar Campaigns Cowboys vs. Accountants: The Real World of International Production Financing | Future of Filmmaking Summit at Cannes Want to stay up to date on IndieWire's film and critical thoughts? to our newly launched newsletter, In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best new reviews and streaming picks along with some exclusive musings — all only available to subscribers. 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News.com.au
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Denzel Washington awarded honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes
The unannounced award came ahead of Monday night's world premiere of Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest, the actor and filmmaker's fifth collaboration. The announcement was made by festival chief Thierry Frémaux as he addressed the crowd. "It's a very special day. Denzel, because you are here, we want to make something special for you. It's a kind of way for us to tell you our adoration, what you have done in cinema. Nobody knows about that except Spike Lee, who wrote me to do that.".
News.com.au
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Denzel Washington awarded honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes
The unannounced award came ahead of Monday night's world premiere of Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest, the actor and filmmaker's fifth collaboration. The announcement was made by festival chief Thierry Frémaux as he addressed the crowd. "It's a very special day. Denzel, because you are here, we want to make something special for you. It's a kind of way for us to tell you our adoration, what you have done in cinema. Nobody knows about that except Spike Lee, who wrote me to do that.".
