Disappointing. The annual announcement of the selection of films at the Cannes Film Festival seemed, at first, somewhat sad. In the first place, due to the absence one more year of any Spanish representative in the noble section, in which he opts for the Palme d'Or. Despite the rumors and good expectations, the only Spanish-language film announced Thursday morning by Thierry Fremaux, the delegate and head of all this, was that of Victor Erice. But, and this is important, in the section (or subsection) of Cannes Premier where last year, for example, 'As bestas', by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, was presented.

'Closing Your Eyes' – that's the title of the return to cinema three decades after the director of 'El Sur' and 'El sol del membrillo' (which won the Jury Prize right here in 1992) – is a film, according to Fremaux himself, about "how cinema captures the past to restore it; a film about the importance of memories and gaze". Otherwise, a feature film 100% by Erice that by the hand of a cast headed by José Coronado insists on drawing the lines that unite the fractured and distant points of collective memory. As is. The film thus joins the other classic of our cinema, Almodóvar (who premieres his second short film in English, Strange way of life) in the 76th edition of the French festival. And that's it. By the way, Fremaux, who did have words for the other films previously announced, said nothing (not a mention) about the director from La Mancha.

So things (and here the second disappointment), the director went on to announce what will be the competition and return to the milestones, who are also filmmakers, almost always. After hearing the names of Ken Loach, Marco Bellocchio, Nanni Moretti, Wim Wenders, Kore-eda or Aki Kaurismaki it would seem that the panorama of world auteur cinema has been installed in a still photo for more than two decades certainly worrying. It is what there is. "Are you sure of the decision?" was the reply, Fremaux said with a laugh, from the two-time Palme d'Or Loach when he received the call from Cannes. And who knows if that simple phrase of the wisest of living filmmakers sums up much of the problems of all this.

Among the 18 names announced that will fight for the Palma that will have to decide a jury chaired by the Swedish Ruben Östlund highlights the record presence of six directors. Jessica Hausner, Justine Trier, Alice Rohrwacher, Catherine Breillat, Kaouther Ben Hania and Senegalese debutant Ramata-ToulayeSy have been chosen in a list that, finally, surrenders to the evidence. If we add to this fact that Woody Allen and Roman Polansky, both with completed and regular films of the festival, have been left out at the moment, perhaps someone is tempted to read a turn in the decisions of a direction that to date had been inflexible when accepting or simply talking about diversity and parallel issues. But, and not to hurry, probably one thing has nothing to do with the other. Or yes.

For the rest, Wes Anderson returns with 'Asteorid City', his film shot in Chinchón, and he does it, as Fremaux said, more convinced than ever of being Wes Anderson. "It's just a Wes Anderson movie," he said. At his side, stand out, in addition to those already mentioned, the Turkish Nuri Bilge Ceylan, already winner of the Palme d'Or with Winter Sleep in 2014, Todd Haynes, the Vietnamese Tran Anh Hung and Jonathan Glazer. All, in one way or another, usual suspects.

Out of competition or in the category of special screenings, little to add to what is already known. There will be Martin Scorsese's first 'western' Killers of the Flower Moon; the new installment of the saga of the archaeologist who refuses to retire this time directed by James Mangold, Indiana Jones ant the dial of destiny, and Jeanne du Barry, by Maiwenn, which will open the festival on Tuesday, May 16. This is known. What's new is that Sam Levinson, Euphoria's father, presents The Idol; that Steve McQueen does the same with the documentary about Amsterdam, the city in which he lives, in World War II, Occupied City, and that both the Chinese director Wang Bing and the German Wim Wenders, both in competition, repeat with two non-fiction works in Special Screenings.

Thierry Fremaux insisted that there are still films to be announced. The previous lists also included the names of Richard Linklater, the posthumous film by Jean-Luc Godard, the new work of Matteo Garrone or Yorgos Lanthimos. And all of them with Spanish films such as They shot the piano player, by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal, or the latest work, also animated, by Pablo Berger, or the debut of Víctor Iriarte even. There is still room for the parallel festival La Quincena de los Realizares. At the moment, and as far as Spain is concerned, Erice and Almodóvar, the two most international names. And that's it.

List of ads in Cannes

Inauguration

"Jeanne du Barry," Maïwenn (Out of Competition)

Competition

"Club Zero," Jessica Hausner
"The Zone of Interest," Jonathan Glazer
"Fallen Leaves," Aki Kaurismaki
"Four Daughters," Kaouther Ben Hania
"Asteroid City," Wes Anderson
"Anatomie d'Une Chute," Justine Triet
"Monster," Hirokazu Kore-eda"The Sun of the Future," Nanni Moretti
"La Chimera
," Alice Rohrwacher
"About Dry Grasses," Nuri Bilge Ceylan
"L'Ete Dernier," Catherine Breillat
"The Passion of Dodin Bouffant," Tran Anh Hung
"Rapito," Marco Bellocchio
"May/December," Todd Haynes
"Firebrand," Karim Ainouz
"The Old Oak," Ken Loach
"Banel et Adama," Ramata-Toulaye Sy
"Perfect Days," Wim Wenders
"Jeunesse," Wang Bing

Un Certain Regard

"The Delinquents," Rodrigo Moreno
"How to Have Sex," Molly Manning Walker
"Goodbye Julia," Mohamed Kordofani"The Buriti Flower," Joao Salaviza and Renée Nader Messora
"Simple Comme Sylvain," Monia Chokri
"Kadib Abyad (The Mother of All Lies)," Asmae El Moudir
"The Settlers," Felipe Galvez
"Omen," Baloji
Tshiani
"The Breaking Ice," Anthony Chen
"Rosalie," Stephanie di Giusto
"The New Boy," Warwick Thornton
"If Only I Could Hibernate," Zoljargal Purevdash
"Hopeless," Kim Chang-hoon
"Terrestrial Verses," Ali Asgari & Alireza Khatami
"Rien a Perdre," Delphine Deloget
"Les Meutes," Kamal Lazraq
"La Regne Animal," Thomas Cailley

Special Screenings

"Pictures of Ghosts," Kleber Mendonca Filho
"Anselm," Wim Wenders
"Occupied City," Steve McQueen
"Man in Black," Wang Bing

Cannes Premieres

"Le Temps d'Aimer," Katell Quillevere
"Close Your Eyes," Victor Erice
"Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe," Martin Provost
"Kubi," Takeshi Kitano

Midnight Screenings

"Omar la Fraise," Elias Belkeddar
"Kennedy," Anurag Kashyap
"Acid," Just Philippot

Out of Competition

"Killers of the Flower Moon," Martin Scorsese"The Idol," Sam Levinson
"Cobweb," Kim Jee-woon
"
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," James Mangold

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