From the troubled Middle East, emerging and veteran filmmakers won awards and a sweet part of the spotlight. Nearly all the films selected explored the themes of hope and resistance in diverse contexts. In addition to the Iranian political thriller
The Seed of the Sacred Fig’s Special Prize in the main competition, Saudi newcomer Tawfik Alzaidi’s tribute to artists and art in closed-minded societies, Norah, received a Special Mention in Un Certain Regard. In the Critics Week, the Egyptian documentary The Brink of Dreams championed female emancipation and won the esteemed L’Oeil d’Or. Two other titles of note that won critics’ and audiences’ acclaim were Palestinian Mahdi Fleifel’s masterfully told ode to exiles,
To A Land Unknown, in Directors’ Fortnight, and Somali director Mo Harawe’s film about hope and solidarity in a post-war country,
The Village Next to Paradise, in Un Certain Regard, making Harawe the first Somali filmmaker to compete at Cannes.
Love poured forth across the official selection at Cannes, but the love for a mother in Boris Lokjine’s The Story of Souleymane may be this year’s most touching depiction of love. Lokjine’s hero is motivated to hustle and to become French because he understands his troubled mother needs him to take care of her. That need takes him from Guinea to Libya to Europe. For his moving performance in the film, first-time actor Abou Sangare, who broke down in tears following a screening at the Théâtre Debussy, deservedly received the Best Actor award in Un Certain Regard (the film also took home a Jury Prize and a Fipresci award.) Sangare was one of two black Africans honoured with awards in that section, the other being the UCR Best Director Prize to Zambian director Rugano Nyoni for her semi-surreal drama On Becoming A Guinea Fowl. Black Africa doesn’t show up too much in Cannes, but four wins at one edition is not a bad return.
Cannes Classics, the strand showcasing restored films and documentaries about cinema, celebrated its 20th anniversary and opened in style with the highly anticipated world premiere of Napoléon, Abel Gance’s 1927 silent epic, now back in its original seven-hour glory. Cannes screened the first half of this opus. With its usual cunning blend of stone-cold classics and less seen (but no less interesting) works from the past, the section expanded throughout the Palais, mainly in the smaller Salle Buñuel but also in larger auditoriums like the Salle Debussy, which hosted the 40th anniversary screening of Paris, Texas with Wim Wenders in attendance.
After Venice, Cannes became the second of the big three European festivals to give immersive works and virtual reality their own dedicated section with the brand new Immersive Competition. An intriguing initiative, albeit one that is likely to remain more niche than Venice’s similar section. The reason: Venice’s Immersive Island is less than two minutes away from the Lido by boat, while Cannes’ Cinéum multiplex is a good half-hour bus ride from the Palais, making it a daunting prospect for attendees with tight schedules.
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