It is tomorrow that the Cannes Film Festival, the most important film festival in the world, will start, the 74th edition of which will take place exceptionally from July 6 to 17, 2021.
For this new edition, Arabic cinema is represented as well by jury members and by films, although in number much less important than in previous years.
Three jury members:
- Algerian director, screenwriter and producer Mounia Meddour is a member of the jury a certain look. In 2019, Mounia Meddour had created the event with her first feature film Papichapresented in the official selection in the Un Certain Regard section. Acclaimed by critics, the film received the César in 2020 for the best first film and that of the best female hope for Lyna Khoudri. Papicha was the film submitted by Algeria to the Oscar for the best film in a foreign language. Mounia Meddour is currently working on her next feature film, Houria.
Three films in official selection:
Cannes 2021 – “Haut and Fort” by Nabil Ayouch
Thanks to his film High and strongthe director Nabil Ayouch Offer this year in Morocco its first selection in official competition of an fiction feature film (the previous selection of a Moroccan film dates back to 1962 for the documentary Souls and rhythms from Abdelaziz Ramdani). “” For the people of the business, the selection of the film High and strong of the director Nabil Ayouch is a global consecration that maps Morocco in the Grail » said Sarim Fassi-Fihri, director of the Moroccan cinematographic center (CCM). “Coming to such a level of competition with world class competitors is therefore remarkable and whatever happens, Nabil Ayouch and Morocco have already won He added.
For Nabil Ayouch, being part of this official competition is a real consecration, although he had already participated in the Cannes Film Festival in the past. His beautiful movie God’s horses had been selected in the Un Certain Regard section in 2012 and its very controversial film Much Loved At the Directors’ Fifteen in 2015. In addition, in 2019, Nabil Ayouch, as a Coscenarist and producer, had accompanied his wife, Maryam Touzani whose very moving film Adam was in competition in the a certain look selection.
Synopsis: Anas, a former rapper, is engaged in a cultural center in a popular district of Casablanca. Encouraged by their new teacher, young people will try to free themselves from the weight of certain traditions to live their passion and express themselves through hip hop culture….
Cannes 2021 – Play for the film “Good Mother”
In the a certain look, we find the film Good mother From the young screenwriter, actress and French director of Tunisian-Algerian origin Hafsia Herzi. In 2019, You deserve a loveher first feature film as a director, had been presented in a special session, as part of the criticism week.
Synopsis: Nora, fifties, cleaning lady by her state, watches over her small family in a city in the northern districts of Marseille. After a long period of unemployment, one evening of bad inspiration, his eldest son Elyes went away in the robbery of a gas station. Incarcerated for several months, he is waiting for his trial with a mixture of hope and concern. Nora does everything to give him up this expectation, the least unbearable possible …
Cannes 2021 – “Le Marin des Montagnes” – Karim Aïnouz
In special session, out of competition, the documentary film Marinheiro Das Montanhas (Le Marin des Montagnes)of the Brazilian director of Algerian origin Karim Aïnouz.
Karim Aïnouz is a regular at the Cannes Film Festival. His first feature film Madame Satã (2002) had been selected in the A certain Look and his film section O Abismo Prateado (the silver cliff) (2011) had been presented at the Directors’ Fortnight. In 2019, his very beautiful film The invisible life of Euridice Gusmao had won the Un Certain Regard Prize.
Synopsis: Karim Aïnouz returned to Algiers with the project to turn there “Algerian by accident”, an autobiographical test in the form of a road movie in search of its roots and the legacy of the struggle for independence against French colonial domination.
Four films in parallel sections:
Two films in the 53rd edition of the Directors’ Fortnight:
Cannes 2021 – “facing the sea” by Ely Dagher
In front of the sea The Lebanese director Ely Dagher, also contributing to the Golden Camera. The short film Waves’98 D’Ely Dagher had received the Palme d’Or from the short film in 2015.
Synopsis: After a long absence, Jana, a young woman, suddenly returns to Beirut. She returns to the familiar life, but now strange, which she had left.
Cannes 2021 – Haider Rashid “Europa”
Europa of the young Italian director, of Iraqi origin Haider Rashid.
Synopsis: Kamal fled Iraq to try to join the “Europe fortress”. On its way are raging on the border of Turkey and Bulgaria of Mercenaries who organize a real hunt for migrants. Alone in the forest, Kamal has 3 days to escape them.
Two films at the Critics Week:
Cannes 2021 – “Feathers” by Omar El Zohairy
Feathers (feathers)of the Egyptian director Omar El Zohairy.
In 2014, the second short film by Omar El Zohairy, The aftermath of the inauguration of the public toilet at kilometer 375 is the first Egyptian film selected at the Cinéfondation du Festival de Cannes.
Synopsis: a passive mother, devoted body and soul to her husband and children. Locked in a monotonous daily life, punctuated by banal and repetitive tasks, it is as small as possible. A simple magic round runs badly during the birthday of his four -year -old son and it is an avalanche of absurd and improbable disasters that falls on the family. The magician transforms her husband, an authoritarian father, into a hen. The mother has no choice but to get out of her reserve and assume the role of family chief, stirring heaven and earth to find her husband. Fighting for her survival and that of her children, she gradually becomes an independent and strong woman.
Cannes 2021 – “A story of love and desire” by Leyla Bouzid
A story of love and desire The second feature film by Tunisian Leyla Bouzid will be the closing film.
In 2015, Barely open my eyesLeyla Bouzid’s first feature film had been awarded at the Venice Mostra and then selected at many international festivals. In May 2016, for this same film, Leyla Bouzid had received on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival, the Women in Motion Prizewhich is a program launched in 2015 intended to arouse debate and feed reflection on the place of women in the film industry whether in front or behind the camera.
Synopsis: Ahmed, 18, French of Algerian origin, grew up in the Parisian suburbs. On the benches of college, he meets Farah, a young Tunisian full of freshly landed energy in Paris. While discovering a corpus of sensual and erotic Arab literature from which he did not suspect existence, Ahmed falls very in love with her and although literally overwhelmed by desire, he will try to resist it.
Arab Critics Awards
As every year for 5 years, it is also during this 74th edition of the Cannes Film Festival that the winners of the 5th edition of the Arab Critics Awards, competition organized by the Center of Arab Cinema, will be announced.
Tunisian film The man who sold his skindirected by Kaouther Ben Hania is a finalist for the prize for the best scenario and for the prize for the best director.
Neïla Driss
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