The 71e edition of the Cannes Film Festival starts today

Opening ceremony of the 71e edition of the Cannes Film Festival presented by Édouard Baer.

The opening ceremony of the 71e edition of the Cannes Film Festival takes place this Tuesday, May 8 as from 19:15. Presented this year, for the third time, by Édouard Baer, this ceremony will give it to it international festival of the cinema.

One often reproached the competition of the greatest Cinema festival of the world for being it appointment of the “subscribers”, in other words experienced scenario writers, multi–preceded, sometimes already award–winnings of a Gold Palm, Ken Loach, the Dardenne brothers, Nanni Moretti, Michael Haneke… . The quality of the selection was often with go, the effect of surprised much less.

The opening ceremony will be the occasion of a first meeting between the jury, chaired this year by the Australian actor Cate Blanchett, and of the festival ones. A woman president for the first edition of the Cannes Film Festival after the Weinstein deflagration, in the month of last September.

It will put at the honor the 21 films in competition, of which four are French. The film of opening of this edition 2018 – rare fact – is also in competition. It is about Everybody knows, of the Iranian Asghar Farhadi. In the poster the couple more glamour of the cinema appears, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.

Officially, after having blown the 70 candles of the Festival, Frémaux wanted to found change and to avoid the opposition to progress. Result: on the 21 scenario writers retained for the official competition this year, one does not count less than 9 new arrivals in the jungle resident of Cannes. It is enormous.

If for example the French selection is taken, it is noted that famous and expected scenario writers as Jacques Audiard absent, and are replaced by young unknown names of the general public: Eva Husson, Yann Gonzalez… One also sees arriving of the films coming from Egypt, of Lebanon at the sides of the Russian, Iranian and Asian authors.

In this selection, let us point some more famous scenario writers nevertheless: the Iranian Asghar Farhadi, who has the honors of the official reception of opening this Tuesday evening with “Everybody knows” (with the couple Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz) or the Turk Nuri Bilge Ceylan, only scenario writer this year to have already gained a Gold Palm with “Winter Sleep”. They are considered names, but especially near the film enthusiast.

By playing the card of the discovery and the cinemas of the world, the Cannes Film Festival plays large this year. If the films of the competition are of quality, one will rent the sense of smell of the organizing committee.

The Festival will have difficulty keeping its reputation of “Number 1”, and the few 4000 accredited journalists will think of twice to return to also massively cover a cultural event which loses, each year, a little more legendary sound glamour.

Nouvel Obs: the former boss of the Festival Gilles Jacob analyzes this failure of Frémaux with very hard words: “One of the missions of the director of the Festival is there to maintain the presence of Hollywood. Who says “Hollywood” says “stars”. The stars are an engine which draws the coaches which are the pointed films of author. Both are needed. Without Hollywood, Cannes is not Cannes. The Festival must remain the place where the world cinema is found each year in its globality. ” The message is one cannot more clearly.

This year: selfies, prohibited on the red carpet. “One does not come to Cannes to see themselves, but to see”, Thierry Frémaux struck Monday.

Cannes Film Festival 2018 / Thierry Frémaux and Pierre Lescure

Cannes Film Festival 2018 / Pierre Lescure

Cannes Film Festival 2018 / Thierry Frémaux 

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Gabriel MIHAI

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