A story about, among many other things, public health. Or, more precisely, its defense. His defense until death itself. This is what 'The forgetfulness we will be' is , the film by Fernando Trueba starring Javier Cámara who will be in Cannes as the only Spanish witness. Never again relevant. "The truth," says the director, "is that it is a strange feeling. Everything that surrounds this film is proving unique. When the pandemic was declared, the first thing we thought of was the strange coincidence that fiction and reality. in a few moments, the characters wash their hands with the same persistence and consciousness that we do now. "
It was never, therefore, so opportune and so prodigiously rare. Remember, the announcement made late Wednesday by artistic director Thierry Fremaux and President Pierre Lescure by 'urbi et orb ' was a revelation for ... exactly what? "When they called me to tell me I was very happy, but then I couldn't help but ask: What is this for?" Says Trueba, surprised and just happy. In fact, it is complicated even now, when you already know the list of films marked by the Cannes Film Festival that has not taken place, why the blissful seal of prestige. But Cannes is in France, and in matters of culture it is impossible to contradict a Frenchman. Be that as it may, the list, the extensive list, is there. There are 56 films (still to be completed) that, if the contest had been held, would have appeared in any of the categories, whether it be the official one, Un Certain Regard, or The Critics' Week.
Trueba's was one of the first to be named. Right after ' The French Dispatch' of Wes Anderson ; ' Druk' or 'Another round ', by the Danish Thomas Vintenberg , and ' True mothers' , by the Japanese Naomi Kawase . Fremaux could not resist and did not miss the opportunity to remember that the Spanish director was the one who, when picking up the Oscar for ' Belle Époque ', remembered his god, who was none other than Billy Wilder. "I prefer not to think about whether it is good or bad news. We already know what is really bad news with what is happening. So this is, by force, good. It is rare, but it is good. What will happen now? It doesn't bother me either, movies are what they are regardless of everything, festivals, premieres or awards.
Please note that the correct thing to do is to credit Trueba with being the only Spaniard in Cannes. No to the movie. She is entirely Colombian. The screenwriter ( David Trueba ), the editor ( Marta Velasco ), the main actor ( Camera ) and the director are the Spanish. Everything else, including each of the dollars that keep it standing, Colombians. History is as Colombian as it is universal, but it takes the title of the poem attributed to Borges and was found in the pocket of Héctor Abad Faciolince's father the day he was assassinated. In the novel, the son reconstructs a city, a family, and his entire childhood. And he does it from the hand of a man who believed in the rest, in the public, in public health. Right now. It is well then that such a story is in the same Cannes. Although Cannes is not there.
For the rest, the rest of the announced names do little and poorly on the forecasts. Let's say that from the dream list to the one announced there have been many casualties. There appear, in addition to those mentioned above, the double effort of Steve McQueen who signs two works: 'Lover's Rock' and ' Mangrove '; Viggo Mortensen's directorial debut ' Falling '; the French army, which arrives headed by François Ozon with ' Summer of 85' and Maiwenn with ' DNA ', and a very special place is occupied by the animation that brings together the latest Pixar and Ghibli : on the one hand, ' Soul ' , by Pete Docter , and the other ' Aya and the witch ', by Goro Miyazaki .
Despite the exclusive presence of Trueba as a Spanish, that does not mean that Spanish cinema, in general and on the rebound, does not benefit in its own way. According to the agreement that the festival of festivals has reached with a long list of appointments that go from Toronto to San Sebastián, passing through New York, Busan, Deauville, Angouleme and Mexico, the chosen films will complete their presentation cycle precisely there, as throughout the year and throughout the world. Regarding the Basque competition, productions duly sealed by Cannes may even enter the competition section. That means, therefore, that, even if it is in that way, the quality of Zinemaldia this year is guaranteed. And sealed. Or should be. Everything indicates that 'The forgetfulness that we will be ' will be in San Sebastián.
Venice, for example, has renounced this privilege as a poisoned gift. Yes, perhaps it is gained in quality, but who knows if it is not lost in something as intangible and heavy as prestige. In the middle of a fight to see which of the two competitions is the most influential in the industry and in the awards, the Lido has decided to veto all the films that have not been presented to its selection jury as the first and only option.
Everything indicates that other films have reserved the privilege of waiting. Time, indeed, is a privilege. Leos Carax's ' Annette ' featuring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard in the cast; ' On a clear half morning ', by Bruno Dumont, and ' Benedetta ', by veteran and essential Paul Verhoeven , are some of the films that have transpired that would already have their place won at Cannes in 2021, the first (hopefully) later of the pandemic.
Of the 56 titles registered and marked among the record number of 2,067 films judged, 15 are first operas. "Never before," Fremaux confessed a few days ago, "the official section has had 26.7% of debuting directors." Regarding the always disputed female quota, the data continues for another year without attracting enthusiasm. In total there are 16 tapes selected from the 532 presented. That is, only two more from the previous year. Of course, 21 films, just over a third, are French productions. ' Good sir . '
These are the movies announced so far:
The forgetfulness that we will be , by Fernando Trueba
The French Dispatch by Wes Anderson
Summer of 85 by François Ozon
Naomi Kawase's True Mothers
Steve McQueen 's Lover's Rock
Mangrove by Steve McQueen
Druk (Another Round) by Thomas Vinterberg
Peninsula of Sang-ho Yeon
DNA by Maïwenn
Soul by Pete Docter
Ammonite by Francis Lee
Falling by Viggo Mortensen
Broken Keys by Jimmy Keyrouz
Truffle Hunters by Gregory Kershaw and Michael Dweck
Aya and the Witch by Goro Miyazaki
Limbo by Ben Sharrock
Heaven by Im Sang-soo
Last Words by Jonathan Nossiter
Des Hommes by Lucas Belvaux
Passion Simple by Danielle Arbid
Good Man by Marie-Castille Mention Schaar
The Things We Say, the Things We Do , by Emmanuel Mouret
John and the Hole , by Pascual Sisto
Limbo by Ben Sharrock
Here We Are by Nir Bergman
Rouge by Farid Bentoumi
Sweat by Magnus von Horn
Teddy by Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma
Un médecin de nuit , by Elie Wajeman
Enfant Terrible by Oskar Roehler
Nadia, Butterfly , by Pascal Plante
Pleasure by Ninja Thyberg
Slalom by Charlène Favier
Antique House , by João Paulo Miranda Maria
Ibrahim , by Samuel Gueismi
Gagarine by Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh
16 Printemps by Suzanne Lindon
Vaurien by Peter Dourountzis
Garçon chiffon , by Nicolas Maury
Si Le Vent Tombe by Nora Martirosyan
On the Way to the Billion , by Dieudo Hamadi
9 Days at Raqqa , by Xavier de Lauzanne
Cévennes , by Caroline Vignal
French Tench by Bruno Podalydès
Un Triomphe , by Emmanuel Courcol
Le Discours , by Laurent Tirard
L'Origine du Monde , by Laurent Lafitte
Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Eight and a Half , by Ann Hui, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Ringo Lam, Patrick Tam, Johnnie To, Hark Tsui, John Woo, Woo-Ping Yuen
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