email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

CANNES 2018

The Croisette in the crosshairs

by 

- Favourites, outsiders, likely bets and possible candidates: here are a few leads to help navigate the swarm of potential hopefuls for the 71st Cannes Film Festival (8-19 May)

The Croisette in the crosshairs
l-r: Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Paolo Sorrentino, Mike Leigh, Asghar Farhadi, László Nemes, Jacques Audiard, Olivier Assayas, Alice Rohrwacher and Mia Hansen-Løve

As the 68th Berlin Film Festival enters the home stretch, the global film industry’s professionals are now starting to turn their attention towards an event that can be considered the heavyweight champion of the international seventh art: the 71st Cannes Film Festival (8-19 May). As always, theories have started swirling concerning the selection that will be unveiled in April by General Delegate Thierry Frémaux, but we can already say that on paper, the 2018 edition looks to be utterly breathtaking, making the hunt for this year’s Palme d'Or (which will be handed out by a jury chaired by Australian actress Cate Blanchett – see the news) all the more exciting.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Standing out among the most eagerly awaited titles are The Wild Pear Tree [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Turkey’s Nuri Bilge CeylanLoro [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Italy’s Paolo SorrentinoPeterloo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mike Leigh
film profile
]
 by British director Mike LeighEverybody Knows [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Iran’s Asghar FarhadiThe Death and Life of John F. Donovan [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Canada’s Xavier DolanAsh Is Purest White [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by China’s Jia ZhangkeSunset [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: László Nemes
film profile
]
 by Hungary’s László NemesThe Favourite [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Greece’s Yorgos Lanthimos, Donbass [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sergei Loznitsa
film profile
]
 by Ukraine’s Sergei Loznitsa (principal photography for which has now wrapped), Our Time [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Reygadas
film profile
]
 by Mexico’s Carlos ReygadasThe Sisters Brothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jacques Audiard
film profile
]
 by France’s Jacques AudiardNon Fiction [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Olivier Assayas
film profile
]
 by his fellow countryman Olivier Assayas, Burning by South Korea’s Lee Chang DongVision [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Japan’s Naomi Kawase and Shoplifters by her compatriot Hirokazu Kore-eda.

The top-drawer Italian contenders are particularly notable this year on account of the sheer number of them, as they also include Lazzaro Felice [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Rohrwacher
film profile
]
 by Alice Rohrwacher (which is still shooting over the rest of the winter), Dogman [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile
]
 by Matteo Garrone and Suspiria [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Luca Guadagnino.

We also hope to see Roma by Mexico’s Alfonso CuarónWidows [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Steve McQueen
film profile
]
 by British director Steve McQueen (even though the previously announced November release date leaves little room for hope), Cold War [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Pawel Pawlikowski
film profile
]
 by Poland’s Pawel PawlikowskiThe Image Book [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Switzerland’s Jean-Luc Godard and A Hidden Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
(working title: Radegund) by US filmmaker Terrence Malick at Cannes.

The outsiders include La Quietud [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Argentina’s Pablo TraperoSynonyms by Israel’s Nadav LapidThe Little Stranger [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Ireland’s Lenny Abrahamson, Roads [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Germany’s Sebastian SchipperBirds of Passage [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Colombian duo Ciro Guerra and Cristina GallegoEvil Games by Austria’s Ulrich Seidl, and potentially A Tale of Three Sisters [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emin Alper
interview: Emin Alper
film profile
]
 by Turkey’s Emin Alper (the shoot for which wrapped on 1 February).

As for the Asian hopefuls, we could also mention such films as Long Day’s Journey into Night [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by China’s Bi GanDi Jiu Tian Chang by his fellow countryman Wang Xiaoshuai and The Man from the Sea [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Japan’s Koji Fukada, not to mention another as-yet untitled Chinese feature by Lou Ye.

For various reasons unrelated to the festival itself, we might be forgiven for wondering whether the Cannes team will feel like delving into the realms of possible controversy with The House That Jack Built [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lars von Trier
film profile
]
 by Denmark’s Lars von Trier and the next part of Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Abdellatif Kechiche, two filmmakers whose artistry is nonetheless easily up to the huge demands of the competition.

European cinema may also be pinning its hopes on Quién te cantará [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Vermut
film profile
]
 by Spaniard Carlos Vermut and Petra [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jaime Rosales
film profile
]
 by his fellow countryman Jaime RosalesI Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Romania’s Radu Jude and Alice T. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile
]
by his compatriot Radu Muntean, Keep Going [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Lafosse
film profile
]
 by Belgium’s Joachim Lafosse and Mothers’ Instinct [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Olivier Masset-Depasse
film profile
]
 by his fellow countryman Olivier Masset-DepasseThe Souvenir: Part 1 [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by British director Joanna HoggAngelo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Markus Schleinzer
film profile
]
 by Austria’s Markus SchleinzerGoliath [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Sweden’s Peter Grönlund, Winter Flies [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Olmo Omerzu
film profile
]
 by Slovenia’s Olmo OmerzuWoman at War [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benedikt Erlingsson
interview: Benedikt Erlingsson
film profile
]
 by Iceland’s Benedikt Erlingsson, Sister [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Svetla Tsotsorkova
film profile
]
 by Bulgaria’s Svetla Tsotsorkova, History of Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sonja Prosenc
film profile
]
 by Slovenia’s Sonja Prosenc, and the Russian films Jumpman [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ivan I Tverdovsky
film profile
]
 by Ivan TverdovskySummer [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ilya Stewart
film profile
]
 by Kirill Serebrennikov and The Factory [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Yury Bykov. And as for the rest of the world (the list is obviously lengthy), we could put forward such titles as Domingo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Clara Linhart, Fellipe Barb…
film profile
]
 by Brazilian duo Fellipe Barbosa and Clara LinhartWho Killed Lady Winsley? [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Iraqi-Kurdish director Hiner SaleemMonos [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Colombian-Ecuadorean filmmaker Alejandro Landes and Tremors [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jayro Bustamante
film profile
]
 by Guatemala’s Jayro Bustamante.

On the French side, besides Audiard and Assayas, the titles generating the biggest buzz are One Nation, One King [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pierre Schoeller
film profile
]
 by Pierre SchoellerHigh Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Claire Denis
film profile
]
 by Claire DenisMaya [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mia Hansen-Løve
film profile
]
 by Mia Hansen-LøveAt War [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile
]
 by Stéphane BrizéAmin [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philippe Faucon
film profile
]
 by Philippe Faucon and The Summer House [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
film profile
]
 by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. Serious overcrowding is to be expected, though, as mention should also be made of the film version of Coincoin and the Extra Humans [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Bruno Dumont, Close Enemies [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Oelhoffen
film profile
]
 by David OelhoffenOur Wonderful Lives [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fabienne Godet
film profile
]
 by Fabienne GodetTo the Ends of the Earth [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guillaume Nicloux
film profile
]
 by Guillaume NiclouxGirls of the Sun [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eva Husson
film profile
]
 by Eva Husson, Paul Sanchez Is Back! [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Patricia MazuyMademoiselle de Joncquières [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Mouret
film profile
]
by Emmanuel Mouret, Claire Darling [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Julie BertuccelliAn Impossible Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Catherine CorsiniI Feel Good [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern, and Sorry Angel [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Christophe Honoré
film profile
]
by Christophe Honoré. And that’s not to mention Knife + Heart [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nicolas Maury
interview: Yann Gonzalez
film profile
]
 by Yann Gonzalez, Amanda [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikhaël Hers
film profile
]
by Mikhaël Hers, Keep an Eye Out [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Quentin DupieuxSavage [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Vincent MarietteMister Freeze [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Romain Gavras
film profile
]
 by Romain Gavras and Real Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Claire Burger
film profile
]
 by Claire Burger.

As for feature debuts, we should highlight My Favourite Fabric [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Syria’s Gaya JijiPassed by Censor [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Serhat Karaaslan
film profile
]
 by Turkey’s Serhat KaraaslanGirl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lukas Dhont
film profile
]
 by Belgium’s Lukas DhontA Certain Kind of Silence [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michal Hogenauer
film profile
]
 by the Czech Republic’s Michal HogenauerThou Shalt Not Kill [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Romanian duo Gabi Virgina Sarga and Catalin RotaruBy a Sharp Knife [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Slovakia’s Teodor Kuhn, and the French titles Jessica Forever [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Jonathan Vinet and Caroline PoggiA Golden Youth [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Eva IonescoHead Above Water [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Margaux Bonhomme, Breath of Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by David Roux and Treat Me Like Fire [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marie Monge
film profile
]
 by Marie Monge.

The animated genre could also be taking aim at the Croisette, with Dilili in Paris [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by France’s Michel OcelotFunan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Denis Do
film profile
]
 by his fellow countryman Denis DoAnother Day of Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Raul de la Fuente
film profile
]
 by Mexican-Polish duo Raúl de La Fuente and Damian Nenow, and The Tower [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mats Grorud
film profile
]
 by Norway’s Mats Grorud.

Lastly, among the star attractions out of competition, Solo: A Star Wars Story by Ron HowardOcean’s 8 by Gary RossSicario 2: Soldado [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Stefano Sollima and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Terry Gilliam
film profile
]
 by Terry Gilliam would seem to be the ideal candidates.

Tune in again in the spring to discover the identities of the lucky Cannes-selected titles.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

(Translated from French)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy