Francesca Comencini in Venice, flanked by actors Fabrizio Gifuni and Romana Maggiora Vergano
The Italian filmmaker spoke with me on the eve of her film kicking off the 15th anniversary edition of the Cinecittà: Cinema Made In Italy showcase in London.
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Just as Taiwan sits atop our latest headlines, with China once again threatening to squash the country’s need for independence, I sat down with KEFF, the young Taiwanese-American filmmaker whose latest work, his feature debut world premiering in Critics’ Week, sits very high on the list of my favorite films in Cannes this year. And that’s saying a lot, as masterpieces abounded!
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As we spoke on the terrace of Unifrance during the Cannes Film Festival, a little tiny bird with a loud, rhythmical chirp decided it needed to chime in. Perhaps, I thought as I listened to the recording later, it was the spirit, the animal incarnation of a Sheikha, the beautiful, strong, freedom-loving tradition of women singers that the French-Moroccan filmmaker pays homage to in his latest masterpiece.
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The first time I ever met Eu, I knew she would be a filmmaker to watch. This latest award just reinforces her power.
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When the film world premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, it won filmmaker a Best Directing award, as well as the Cannes Best Documentary prize. That was only the beginning, as the film ended up going to on win best film at Sydney FF and best documentary at the Durban film festival. In Marrakech, it won top prize, with Jury President Jessica Chastain handing the diminutive, yet powerful El Moudir the award.
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When the Belgian-Congolese rapper turned filmmaker premiered his film in Cannes, earlier this year, Baloji singlehandedly changed the history of his adoptive country for the better — a lesson for all in what it takes to begin to amend the wrongs of colonialism.
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Kaouther Ben Hania, in blue, flanked by the cast and crew of her latest film in Cannes
For as long as I've been watching her work, the filmmaker has been reinventing cinema, her cinema, which knows no boundaries and sees no limits.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Today, on November 5th 2020 Tilda Swinton turned 60. Wrap your head around that little boys and girls. Sixty! And she looks absolutely flawless IRL. So, I celebrate her agelessness by posting an interview from Cannes 2017 when I got to sit next to her majestic beauty and fell in awe of her class.
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This month, the Criterion Channel is programming ‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’, the debut feature by wondrous filmmaker Chloé Zhao. I got to interview her in Cannes for her second feature ‘The Rider’ and it was published originally on the HuffPost. Here it is now, a bit shortened and re-edited. And don’t forget to watch ‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’ on January 15th.
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Alice Rohrwacher, photo by © Fabio Lovino
As I sit with a group of journalists surrounding Alice Rohrwacher, on an open terrace in Cannes, there is a dog howling and barking, far in the background. I giggle to myself as I seem to be the only person noticing it and because in her film ‘Lazzaro Felice’ (‘Happy as Lazzaro’) she features a wolf who is quite central to the story. This sound in the distance brings a whole otherworldly, almost magical element to our chat and if she does anything with her films, Rohrwacher proves a purveyor of magic through the lens.
This week, Rohrwacher descends on Doha to become a Master during their annual Qumra event. The Doha Film Institute is also about magic, and they make theirs happen behind the scenes by bringing together the crème de la crème of international filmmakers, producers, film curators, programmers, sales agent and festival directors to create a cinematic tsunami that is bound to be felt around the world. It is five days and nights of jam packed cinematic networking as well as constant learning, through their Masterclasses, lectures and mentorship, as well as over fine local dishes at working breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
From where I stand, the partnership seemed inevitable between Rohrwacher and the DFI.
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Mohamed Hefzy
Just over a month before the Festival de Cannes kicked off on the Croisette, an announcement rocked the world of Arab cinema: Egyptian producer extraordinaire Mohamed Hefzy would be the new head of the Cairo International Film Festival. There are many reasons why Hefzy is the perfect man for the job, since CIFF has had its share of troubles following the revolutions of the Arab Spring. Among them, that he's long been a great cinematic bridge between the Arab world and the West. Also to keep in mind, the movie business in Egypt has gone through changes that would have shut the industry down in most other countries, and yet out of those ashes it is thanks to a visionary producer like Hefzy that Egyptian films are now seen beyond the Arab world.
I can easily quote the 'Yomeddine' example -- a simple, straight from the heart indie-like film that competed for the Palme d'Or this year in Cannes. Yes, in Competition, in Cannes. Not bad for a debut feature film!
So knowing that Hefzy will be at the helm of the oldest and most prestigious festival in Egypt is great news to this lover of Arab cinema.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Jake Gyllenhaal as Dr. Johnny Wilcox in Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Okja’
As he sat down to talk to a select group about his latest film ‘Okja’ in Cannes, Jake Gyllenhaal crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave the room an intense, yet wary look-over. In that moment I thought, “uh oh” imagining the actor would be as I’d seen him before during a masterclass in Dubai — revealing exactly what he was prepared to disclose and nothing more, nothing less. Which would mean that I’d never get my answers about the man beneath the public persona. And that’s always the most interesting, isn’t it, who someone is after the spotlights are turned off and the crowds have gone home.
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Thierry Frémaux by Gareth Cattermole at Getty Images for DIFF
For cinema insiders of course Monsieur Frémaux needs no introduction, he is the legendary artistic director of the Festival de Cannes. He is also the director of the Institut Lumière in Lyon, which is where his passion for the inventors of modern cinema, as we know and love it today, comes from. When I use the word passion in his case, I am not throwing it around lightly. His enthusiasm for the films of the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, is infectious and now that he’s curated them into a full-length film collection that is presented in exclusive settings with his live commentary, he has easily conquered quite a few new fans for the French inventors of the movie camera.
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