Savvy Cannes-goers know that while the Official Selection has some of the biggest hitters (and certainly has them this year) on the Croisette, the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar is often the home of some of the most daring and exciting cinema that any festival has to offer. Focused a little more on newer filmmakers (but not exclusively), recent years have seen the bow of excellent movies like “Divines,” “My Life As A Zucchini,” “Neruda,” “Green Room,” “Embrace Of The Serpent,” “Mustang,” “Arabian Nights,” “Girlhood” and “Whiplash” within the parallel selection.
A week on from the arrival of the main Cannes line-up, the Quinzaine Des Realisateurs has unveiled their new selection, and it’s another strong one. Things will kick off with a doozy: the legendary Claire Denis, the most notable absence from the Official Competition, with her comedy (!) “Un Beau Soleil Intérieur,” starring Juliette Binoche and Gerard Depardieu.
There’s also new films from luminaries Abel Ferrera and Philippe Garrel, the latest from “Tangerine” director Sean Baker with the Willem Dafoe-starring “The Florida Project,” “Mediterranea” director Jonas Carpignano returning with “A Ciambra,” and the traditional Sundance carry-over, albeit an unexpected one: the Dave Bautista-starring one-take dystopian actioner “Bushwick” (plus festival fave “Patty Cake$,” which closes the sidebar). There’s also Bruno Dumont’s electro-pop Joan Of Arc musical, the intriguing sounding Zambian movie “I Am Not A Witch,” and the Imogen Poots-starring “Mobile Homes,” plus the latest from “Songs That My Mother Taught Me” helmer Chloe Zhao.
Take a look at the full line-up below, and check back here in a month or so for our verdicts on the movies.
UN BEAU SOLEIL INTÉRIEUR – Claire Denis (opening film)
A CIAMBRA – Jonas Carpignano
ALIVE IN FRANCE – Abel Ferrara
L’AMANT D’UN JOUR – Philippe Garrel
BUSHWICK – Cary Murnion & Jonathan Milott
CUORI PURI – Roberto De Paolis
THE FLORIDA PROJECT – Sean Baker
FROST – Sharunas Bartas
I AM NOT A WITCH – Rungano Nyoni
JEANNETTE, L’ENFANCE DE JEANNE D’ARC – Bruno Dumont
L’INTRUSA – Leonardo Di Costanzo
LA DEFENSA DEL DRAGÓN – Natalia Santa
MARLINA SI PEMBUNUH DALAM EMPAT BABAK – Mouly Surya
MOBILE HOMES – Vladimir de Fontenay
NOTHINGWOOD – Sonia Kronlund
ÔTEX-MOI D’UN DOUTE – Carine Tardieu
THE RIDER – Chloe Zhao
WEST OF THE JORDAN RIVER (FIELD DIARY REVISITED) – Amos Gitai
PATTY CAKE$ – Geremy Jasper (closing)
