More than one day and will start the Cannes Film Festival, the most important film festival in the world, the 72nd edition of which will take place from May 14 to 25, 2019.
The presence of Arab cinema and Arabic filmmakers or of Arab origin is important this year, as well by the presidency of the jury of the a certain look selection, as by films in almost all selections.
The Lebanese actress, screenwriter and director Nadine Labaki was chosen to preside over the Jury of the Un Certain Regard selection, of which she had already been a member in 2015.
Two of Nadine Labaki’s films had been presented in the past in competition at the Cannes Film Festival: the very moving and beautiful And now where are we going? In 2011, in the a certain look and the magnificent selection Shambles which in 2018 won the jury prize in the official competition. Subsequently, this film had been appointed and even awarded in the most prestigious cinematographic competitions, including the Golden Globes and The Oscar for the best film in a foreign language.
Nadine Labaki, president of the jury a certain look
In official competition, Intermezzothe latest feature by Abdellatif Kechiche who won the Palme d’Or in 2013 with Adèle’s life. Intermezzo is the second part of his film Mektoub, My Love: Canto Unoreleased in 2018 and which had been in competition in the 74th Edition of the Venice Mostra.
Also in official competition, the new film by the Palestinian Elia Suleiman, It must be heavenwhose photo director is the Tunisian Sofien El Fani.
It must be heaven is a burlesque tale exploring identity, nationality and belonging, in which Elia Suleiman poses a fundamental question: where can we feel “at home”?
Elia Suleiman had already had films in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival: in 2002 with Divine intervention who had won the jury prize and in 2009 with The time left. In 2007, he participated with Everyone has their cinema in outside competition and in 2012, with 7 days in Havana In the a certain look.
In the a certain look, we find the Moroccan Maryam Touzani with her first feature film Adam Who transports us to the medina of Casablanca, where an unexpected friendship woves between two women.
Adam is produced by the director Nabil Ayouch, husband of Maryam Touzani. They had already worked together on Razzia (2017), a film on women’s freedom and the contradictions of Moroccan society. Maryam Touzani, the scenario co-author, played the main role.
Also in a certain look selection, the film My brother’s wife From the Canadian of Tunisian origin Monia Chokri, which she wrote, produced, mounted and produced. The film recounts the test of the fusional relationship between Sophia and his brother Karim when the latter falls in love with Eloïse.
The third film in a certain look is the first feature film Papicha Algerian screenwriter and director Mounia Meddour. This film immerses us in the life of Nedjma, a young student who dreams of becoming a fashion designer. In the middle of the Algerian civil war, she will despite herself catch up by politics.
The documentary film Camera of Africa (20 Years of African Cinema) (1983) by Tunisian director Ferid Boughdir is selected in the 2019 Classics Cannes section. African camera tells the story of a handful of men scattered around a vast continent and who have been sharing the same dream for 20 years: that cinema is used to express Africa. Without financial and technical means, they fight against the powerful companies that dominate African cinemas in order to decolonize screens and produce and show African images.
Among the films selected at the 51st edition of the Directors’ Fortnight, Tlamess The second fictional feature of Alaeddine Slim, who has already achieved The Last of Usdoubly awarded at the Venice Mostra in 2016 and which had won the Tanit d’Or for the best first work at the JCC.
Tlamess offers a heterogeneous casting bringing together the Egyptian musician Abdullah Miniawy as the main actor and playing for the first time in a movie film, the Tunisian actress Souhir Ben Amara and the Algerian actor Khaled Benaissa.
Tlamess in competition at the Directors’ Fortnight – Cannes 2019
The selection of criticism week has four Arab films or Arab filmmakers: – the Moroccan film The miracle of the saint unknown Directed by Alaa Eddine Aljem. It is a black comedy whose script was awarded at the Locarno film festival.
– Abu Leila of the Algerian director Amin Sidi-Boumediene.
– Outside competition, You deserve a lovedirected by Hafsia Herzi, French of Tunisian origin, who played the main role of the film The love of men (2017) by Mehdi Ben Attia.
– The short film Fakh of the Egyptian Nada Riyadh.
The documentary film under production Ride The filmmaker Mehdi Hmili was selected in the Cinema Factory, a program designed in close collaboration with the Cannes Festival and which aims to support and support the current cinematographic projects.
It is also during this 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival that will be announced The winners of the 3rd edition of the Awards Critics, competition organized by the Center of Arab Cinema. The two Tunisian actors Mohamed Dhrif (Weldi) and Ahmed Hafiane (Fatwa) are finalists for the price for the best Arab actor of 2018.
The Arab Cinema Center which also publishes a special Cannes dossier in the last issue of its Arab Cinema Magazine magazine.
Arab Cinema Magazine – special Cannes 2019 Cannes file
As part of Tunisia’s participation in the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival, in which Tunisian cinema has a distinguished presence through the selection of five films by Tunisian directors in different sections of the Festival, several events are planned at the Tunisian Pavilion in the Riviera International Village:
- May 15, 2019 at 2 p.m.: Meeting of the steering committee and coordinators of the African Sentoo program;
- May 17, 2019 at 3 p.m.: Periodic meeting of members of the Commission of Arab Cinematography Centers (AFIC);
- May 18, 2019 at 11 am: Press conference of the 2019 Mediterranean Cinema Festival;
- May 18, 2019 at 12 noon: announcement of projects selected in the Sentoo program;
- May 22, 2019 at 11 am: Press conference of the 2019 Carthage Film Festival Festival;
- May 22, 2019 at 3 p.m.: Press conference of the 2019 Tunisian Film Festival.
The Tunisian pavilion will also host activities of the Palestinian delegation in Cannes through two “Come to Meet” meetings and the “N.African Coproduction Meetings” and this, on May 19 and 20, 2019.
Good festival!
Neïla Driss
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