08/06/2021 - Miguel Gomes, Joanna Hogg, Jonas Carpignano, Clio Barnard, Alice Rohrwacher and Pietro Marcello are among the 29 selected directors, 22 of whom will debut on the Croisette by way of a feature

"It’s a selection full of new discoveries, which is one of the aims and the raison d’être of Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight." Stressing that 22 of the 29 filmmakers (out of the 24 feature films selected) set to be showcased in the 53rd edition of the parallel section (running 7 – 17 July, as part of the 74th Cannes Film Festival) have never presented a feature film on the Croisette until now, the artistic director of the event Paolo Moretti described his choices as being characterised by "modernity in their writing and in their vibrant portrayal of our epoch".

Presented at noon in Paris’s Forum des Images, the programme is largely dominated by European filmmakers, 19 of them to be exact, with six of them hailing from France: Emmanuel Carrère with Between Two Worlds [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Carrère
film profile] (which is set to open the Directors’ Fortnight and stars Juliette Binoche in the lead role), Jean-Gabriel Périot with his documentary Returning to Reims (Fragments) [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Anaïs Volpé with The Braves [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Souheila Yacoub
film profile], Rachel Lang with the French-Belgian production Our Men [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rachel Lang
film profile], and two directors of debut feature films: Vincent Cardona with Magnetic Beats [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vincent Maël Cardona
film profile] and Yassine Qnia with A Brighter Tomorrow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Souheila Yacoub
film profile].

In terms of the Old Continent, Italy is equally well-represented at the event, with three feature films jostling in the line-up: A Chiara [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jonas Carpignano
film profile] by Jonas Carpignano (who was discovered in Critics’ Week 2015 via Mediterranea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jonas Carpignano
film profile], and who previously participated in the Fortnight in 2017 with A Ciambra [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jonas Carpignano
film profile]), the collective documentary Futura [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by the high-class trio Alice Rohwacher, Pietro Marcello and Francesco Munzi (who have all taken part in Cannes or Venice-based competitions in the past) and The Tale of King Crab [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alessio Rigo de Righi and M…
film profile] by the directorial duo composed of Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis.

The UK, meanwhile, will be able to wager on Ali & Ava [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Clio Barnard (who was the star attraction of the 2013 Directors’ Fortnight by way of The Selfish Giant [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Clio Barnard
interview: Clio Barnard
film profile], and who earned herself a Special Mention in Toronto’s Platform competition in 2017 thanks to Dark River [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Clio Barnard
film profile]), as well as on The Souvenir Part II [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Joanna Hogg (whose prequel, The Souvenir [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2019 and will also be treated to a Special Screening during the Directors’ Fortnight).

Portugal looks set to stand out with The Tsugua Diaries [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: João Nunes Monteiro
interview: Maureen Fazendeiro and Migu…
film profile] by Miguel Gomes and Maureen Fazendeiro, the former being a very familiar face at major international film festivals, who scooped an award in Berlin in 2012 thanks to Tabu [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Miguel Gomes
interview: Miguel Gomes
film profile], and who took part in the Directors’ Fortnight in 2008 with This Dear Month of August [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and then again in 2015 with The Arabian Nights [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Miguel Gomes
film profile] trilogy.

For its part, Romania will be staking its bets on Întregalde [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile] by Radu Muntean, who is also making his return to the Fortnight after presenting Boogie [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dragos Vîlcu
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile] at the event in 2008, and then being selected a further two times on the Croisette, on both occasions within the Un Certain Regard section, thanks to Tuesday, After Christmas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile] in 2010 and One Floor Below [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile] in 2015, before heading off to compete in Locarno in 2018 with Alice T. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile]).

This impressive European armada is rounded off by two first feature films: Murina [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
interview: Gracija Filipovic
film profile] by Croatia’s Antoneta Kusijanović and The Hill Where Lionesses Roar [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Luana Bajrami
film profile] by the French-Kosovar director Luàna Bajrami.

Asia is also in on the act, boasting five titles in the Directors’ Fortnight line-up, three of which hail from the Middle East: Europa [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by the Iraqi-born filmmaker Haider Rashid (a 100% Italian production), The Sea Ahead [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Ely Dagher (a majority French production with Lebanon and Belgium, which is the first feature film to come courtesy of this director who won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film in 2015) and Hit The Road by Iran’s Panah Panahi (the son of the famous director Jafar Panahi). A Chinese film (signed Shujun Wei) and an Indian movie (a first feature by Payal Kapadia) are likewise on the agenda.

Latin America will enjoy a similarly respectable presence in the form of three representatives: Clara Sola [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nathalie Álvarez Mesén
film profile] by Costa Rican director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén (who was the victor of this year’s Les Arcs Film Festival Work-in-Progress initiative, with her debut feature film produced by Sweden in league with France, Germany, Belgium, the Costa Rica and the USA), Medusa by Brazilian filmmaker Anita Rocha da Silveira and The Employer and the Employee [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Uruguay’s Manuel Nieto Zas.

North America, by contrast, can only lay claim to one contender this year, namely Neptune Frost, which is co-directed by American rapper Saul Williams (the lead actor of Cannes’ 1998 Caméra d’Or-winning work Slam) and the French playwright of Rwandan origin Anisia Uszeyman.

For the record, the American documentary-maker Frederick Wiseman is set to receive the Carrosse d’Or, courtesy of the French Society of Film Directors (read our news).

The full list:

Feature Films

Between Two Worlds [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Carrère
film profile] - Emmanuel Carrère (France) (Opening film)
A Chiara [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jonas Carpignano
film profile] - Jonas Carpignano (Italy/France/USA)
Ali & Ava [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Clio Barnard (UK)
Clara Sola [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nathalie Álvarez Mesén
film profile] - Nathalie Álvarez Mesen (Sweden/France/Germany/Belgium/Costa Rica/USA)
A Brighter Tomorrow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Souheila Yacoub
film profile] - Yassine Qnia (France)
The Tsugua Diaries [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: João Nunes Monteiro
interview: Maureen Fazendeiro and Migu…
film profile] - Miguel Gomes, Maureen Fazendeiro (Portugal)
The Employer and the Employee [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Manuel Nieto Zas (Uruguay/Argentina/France)
The Braves [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Souheila Yacoub
film profile] - Anaïs Volpé (France)
Europa [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Haider Rashid (Iraq/Italy)
Futura [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Pietro Marcello, Alice Rohrwacher, Francesco Munzi (Italy)
Hit the Road - Panah Panahi (Iran)
Întregalde [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Muntean
film profile] - Radu Muntean (Romania)
The Hill Where Lionesses Roar [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Luana Bajrami
film profile] - Luàna Bajrami (Kosovo/France)
Magnetic Beats [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vincent Maël Cardona
film profile] - Vincent Maël Cardona (France)
Medusa - Anita Rocha da Silveira (Brazil)
Murina [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
interview: Gracija Filipovic
film profile] - Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović (Croatia/Brasil/USA/Slovenia)
Neptune Frost - Saul Williams, Anisia Uzeyman (Rwanda/USA)
A Night of Knowing Nothing [+see also:
film review
interview: Payal Kapadia
film profile] - Payal Kapadia (India/France)
The Tale of King Crab [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alessio Rigo de Righi and M…
film profile] - Alessio Rigo de Righi, Matteo Zoppis (Italy/Argentina /France)
Returning to Reims (Fragments) [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Jean-Gabriel Périot (France)
Ripples of Life - Shujun Wei (China)
The Sea Ahead [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Ely Dagher (Lebanon/Belgium/France)
The Souvenir Part II [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Joanna Hogg (UK/USA)
Our Men [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rachel Lang
film profile] - Rachel Lang (France/Belgium) (Closing film)

Special Screening

The Souvenir [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Joanna Hogg (UK/USA)

Short Films

Anxious Body - Yoriko Mizushiri (France/Japan)
El Espacio sideral (The Sidereal Space) - Sebastián Schjaer (Argentina)
The Parents’ Room - Diego Marcon (UK/Italy)
Simone est partie (Simone Is Gone) - Mathilde Chavanne (France)
Sycorax - Lois Patiño, Matías Piñeiro (Spain/Portugal)
Train Again - Peter Tscherkassky (Austria)
The Vandal - Eddie Alcazar (USA)
When Night Meets Dawn (Quand la Nuit rencontre l’Aube) - Andreea Cristina Borțun (Romania)
The Windshield Wiper - Alberto Mielgo (Spain/USA)

(Translated from French)