On Monday, the Cannes Film Festival concluded the official selection for its 77th edition by announcing the inclusion of thirteen new films, among them highly anticipated works from directors Michel Hazanavicius, Oliver Stone, and Arnaud Desplechin.
Thierry Frémaux, the festival's general delegate, had previously pledged on April 11th that the official lineup would be completed at a later date. Keeping to his word, Frémaux revealed on Monday, April 22nd, the addition of thirteen new films, including three feature-length films vying for the prestigious Palme d'Or.
One notable addition is "La Plus précieuse des marchandises" ("The Most Precious of Goods"), an animated film by acclaimed French director Michel Hazanavicius. Adapted from Jean-Claude Grumberg's tale of the same name, this co-production with StudioCanal is slated for release on November 20th. The film narrates the story of a child rescued from Nazi death camps by a destitute couple of woodcutters during World War II, featuring music by Alexandre Desplat and voices including Jean-Louis Trintignant, Grégory Gadebois, and Dominique Blanc. This marks the first animated film in competition at Cannes since 2008's "Waltz with Bashir."
Also joining the competition is "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" by Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, whose plot remains undisclosed. Rasoulof has faced government scrutiny for his support of protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, resulting in him being barred from Cannes last year.
Completing the trio of competition entries is "Trois kilomètres jusqu'à la fin du monde" ("Three Kilometers to the End of the World") by Romanian director Emanuel Parvu.
Additionally, "Le Comte de Monte-Cristo" ("The Count of Monte Cristo") by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte has been added outside of competition.
In the Un Certain Regard section, new additions include "Niki" by French actress Céline Sallette, "When The Light Breaks" by Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson, and "Flow" by Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis.
Special Screenings feature "Spectateurs!" by French director Arnaud Desplechin, "Lula" by American director Oliver Stone, "Nasty" by Romanian director Tudor Giurgiu, and "An Unfinished Film" by Chinese director Lou Ye.
Lastly, the Cannes Première session will showcase "Vivre, Mourir, Renaître" ("To Live, To Die, To Be Reborn") by French director Gaël Morel and "Maria" by French director Jessica Palud.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
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