future crimes
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux, Kristen Stewart
It’s been more than 20 years since David Cronenberg played in the sandbox of body horror and sci-fi. With “Crimes of the Future,” the legendary filmmaker who created gory classics like “Scanners” (1981), “Videodrome” (1983) and “The Fly” (1986) firmly embraces his roots, resurrecting a story he’s had in the back of his mind for years. And he never had a chance to talk about a world in which surgery becomes an art form. The director reunites with one of his most fruitful partners, Viggo Mortensen, who plays the main role. Mortensen was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for their latest collaboration, 2007 titled “Oriental Promises”.
“Holy spider”
Director: Ali Abbasi
Casting: Mehdi Baghestani, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Arash Ashtiani
Danish-Iranian director Ali Abbasi, whose latest film, The Borders 2018, won the Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes, now finds himself vying for the festival’s biggest prize with his thriller So Black, after a family man named Saeed embarks on a… A dark mission to “cleanse” the city of Mashhad from debauchery – a quest that quickly turns deadly. As things progressed, Saeed became increasingly frustrated with the public’s lack of interest in his deadly mission, which prompted him to take more action.
Tori and Lukita
Directors: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Casting: Marc Zenga, Nadej Ouedraogo, Alban Okaj, Charlotte De Bruyne
At this point, Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne were the kings of Cannes, having won six awards at the festival for six different films. This impeccable track record makes their newest, Tori and Lukita, a favorite in this year’s competition, with socially concerned filmmakers always turning their attention this time to two friends who have traveled from Africa to Belgium only to face its harsh realities as they struggle to survive. The film continues its shift towards more race-focused themes, with the latest award-winning film, 2019’s Cheb Ahmed, following a Belgian Arab boy who falls victim to extremism.
decision to leave
Director: Park Chan-wook
Starring: Tang Wei, Go Kyung Pyo, Park Hae Il
Finally, Korean cinema has entered the mainstream. While Bong Joon-ho may have been the one who successfully broke the Oscar barrier, it was Park Chan-wook who first caught the world’s attention, with his controversial 2003 movie “Oldboy” becoming one of the cult classics. century so far. With “Decision to leave,” the director returns to Cannes for the first time since the 2016 movie The Handmaiden, this time after a detective falls in love with a mysterious widow after she becomes the prime suspect in his latest murder investigation.
“boy from heaven”
Director: Tarek Saleh
Casting: Tawfiq Barhoum, Faris Fares, Muhammad Bakri
Swedish-Egyptian director Tarek Saleh made his Cannes debut with “Boy from Heaven”, a follow-up to “The Nile Hilton Incident” at the Sundance Film Festival. While his former political thriller sparked some controversy in Egypt (he had to move production outside the country after the backlash), “Boy From Heaven” proves he hasn’t lost his taste for confrontation. It is a thrilling political thriller after a power struggle in the wake of the death of a high-ranking religious leader.
Mediterranean fever
Director: Maha Al Hajj
Casting: Amer Hlehel, Ashraf Farah, Anat Hadid
An aspiring writer and petty con artist team up for a sinister plot in “Mediterranean Fever,” the return of Palestinian filmmaker Maha Al-Hajj to Cannes after her debut, “Personal Affairs,” in 2016. The film, which was shown in Haifa, is seen as supporting an actor From “Personal Affairs” – Amer Hillel, who honed his craft with the UK’s Royal Shakespeare Company – was promoted to his first leading role on the big screen. It depicts Hajji’s characteristic black humor with an existential glimpse. While this is her second film, Haj stormed the art department in Elia Suleiman’s acclaimed films “The Time That Remains” and “It Must Be Heaven” before stepping behind the camera herself.
blue kaftan
Director: Maryam Touzani
Casting: Saleh Bakri, Lubna Azbal, Ayoub Messi
In one of Morocco’s oldest cities, husband and wife Halim (Saleh Bakri) and Mina (Lubna Azbal) run a traditional kaftan shop in dire need of help. The two hire a talented young man named Joseph – and soon discover that his presence has a profound effect on their lives. With “The Blue Caftan”, Moroccan director Maryam Touzani, collaborator and wife of director Nabil Ayouch, returns to Cannes after her famous film “Adam” – himself about a modest Casablanca bakery that received an unexpected guest – that lit up the festival’s Un Certain Regard section in 2019 .
Three thousand years of longing
Director: George Miller
Starring: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton
There are few film careers more exciting than those offered by George Miller, the Australian filmmaker behind the “Mad Max” trilogy, “Babe” and both “Happy Feet” films. Miller didn’t get the respect he deserved until the 2015 release of “Mad Max: Fury Road,” a masterful show of skill that earned 10 Academy Award nominations that year. While we won’t see any follow-up to this movie until 2024, “Furiosa” will see the premiere of his latest epic, this time after a researcher (Tilda Swinton) meets Jane (Idris Elba) in Istanbul who offers her three wishes in exchange for freedom.
“Armageddon Time”
Director: James Gray
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Strong
While it still feels like the world hasn’t yet taken notice of director James Gray, he was a longtime American favorite in Cannes. His previous films “We Own the Night” (2007), “The Immigrant” (2013) and Brad Pitt’s science fiction epic “Ad Astra” (2016) made their debuts in La Croisette. His most recent work is his most personal yet, based on growing up in Queens, New York and starring some of the world’s best actors, including Anthony Hopkins, still in the prime of his power, Jeremy Strong (“Succession”), and Anne Hathaway.
sadness triangle
Director: Robin Ostlund
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Harris Dickinson, Oliver Ford Davis
If you’re a fan of barbs, there’s a good chance you’re also a fan – or should be – of Swedish director Robin Ostlund, whose previous films “Force Majeure” and “The Square” were some of the most hilarious, not to mention deeply uncomfortable. Films of the last decade. With “Triangle of Sadness,” the filmmaker traded the ski slopes of Sweden and Denmark’s museums for the sunniest islands of Greece, filming his latest work over 72 days on a deserted island during the pandemic. It tells the story of a pair of models who find themselves at a turning point in their careers.
