Jacqueline Postajian is a contributor at Hollywood Insider. A lifelong cinephile, she hopes to put her passion for film analysis and discussion to good use by using her platform to shine a spotlight on often overlooked films and filmmakers. Like everyone at Hollywood Insider, she believes in the power of good film journalism as a way to broaden audiences’ horizons and facilitate conversation. Her interests lie mostly in female filmmaking, independent film, studying Classical and New Wave Cinema, and has a passion for theatre.
Jun 16, 2021
Table of Contents
Photo: ‘Annette’/Amazon Studios
Ah, Cannes. Just as the world is recovering from that odd, somewhat awkward but kind of enjoyable later than usual Academy Award season, cinephiles are gearing up for Cannes 2021, which is set to take place July 6 to July 17. The Cannes Film Festival has been a beloved event since 1946, films competing at the festival are often subject to grand-scale distribution bidding wars and a good critical reception here can go a long way in determining future success for a film. There have only been three occurrences of the Palme d’Or winner also taking home the Best Picture Oscar: ‘The Lost Weekend,’ ‘Marty,’ and ‘Parasite.’ Nonetheless, the reputable award is coveted as an international symbol of excellence.
The lineup for 2021 includes a particular favor towards auteurs and French filmmakers. The unofficial Queen of Cannes Léa Seydoux is appearing in a record number of 4 films this year, ‘The Story of My Wife’ directed by Ildikó Enyedi, ‘Deception’ directed by Arnaud Desplechin, ‘On a Half Clear Morning ’ directed by Bruno Dumont, and Wes Anderson’s ‘The French Dispatch.’ Disappointedly so, there are only four films directed by women in the competition section, which totals an above-average 24 films. Special shoutout to everyone’s favorite video essayist/director Kogonada, his film ‘After Yang’ has been selected in the Un Certain Regard category. Although the rest of the jury is yet to be announced, Spike Lee will assume the role of president after last year’s cancellation prevented him from doing so.
A Tribute to Cannes Film Festival 2021
Whether it’s because of anticipation built through first trailers or the return of beloved auteurs, here are the top films we are excited about that you should definitely have on your radar:
The Cannes 2021 Guide
‘Annette’
The film is opening with Leos Carax’s latest ‘Annette.’ The dream sequence seeming musical stars Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver. The gorgeous trailer offers us a look at the story of an artistic couple who have welcomed a daughter born with a surprising gift. The ambiguous plotline, killer cast, and original music by the band Sparks make this a must-see.
Words can’t describe how much the world needs a Wes Anderson film right now. The delays in the release while fans have been drooling over the trailer for over a year now makes ‘The French Dispatch’ definitely the most anticipated of films this year. Starring all the favorite Anderson regulars as well as A-list additions, the film about an American journal in Paris will hopefully satisfy all our cinematic cravings.
‘Bergman Island’
With the first trailer having dropped last week, Mia Hansen-Løve’s newest film tells the story of a filmmaking couple who make a pilgrimage to the island where Ingmar Bergman was inspired and worked. While working on their screenplays, it seems the stories they are creating start to emanate their real-life issues. ‘Bergman Island’ marks Hansen-Løve’s first entry into the competition for Palm d’Or,
‘Red Rocket’
While we don’t know much about ‘Red Rocket’ beyond the IMDb synopsis about a porn star returning to his Texas town, unpredictability has always worked wonders in a Sean Baker film. One familiar Baker-ism however has been using actors who are either non-professional or have some background in common with the character they will be playing. No surprise here, ‘Red Rocket’ star Simon Rex has worked in the pornography industry.
Any film starring Tilda Swinton is very likely to awe and amaze. Not only do I trust her taste in projects immensely and anticipate a beyond earthly performance every time, but ‘Memoria’ is the latest film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, a Palme d’Or alumni for his incredibly unique art house ghost story ‘Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.’ The synopsis is purposefully ambiguous, involving the sight of sounds, a perfect vehicle for Swinton’s weird and wild sensibilities.
‘Casablanca Beats’
A film that dares have the name of the “greatest film of all time” in its title is bound to raise some eyebrows and capture attention. ‘Casablanca Beats’, directed by Nabil Ayouch, is the first of Moroccan origin to compete for the Palme d’Or and tells the story of a group of young people living in the slums of Casablanca who find purpose and release through hip hop dance. It has already been acquired for sales by Wild Bunch distribution.
‘The Story of My Wife’
Female Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi’s adaptation of this period piece about a man who marries a woman due to a bet seems promising. The unique premise, the promise of costumes, and the cast of Seydoux and Louis Garrel have us hooked. Enyedi’s 2017 film ‘On the Body and Soul’ won the Golden Bear at Berlin and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.
The Un Certain Regard category is used to showcase films by new filmmakers as well as unconventional films that are experimental in their storytelling techniques.
A section new to the competition in 2021, the Cannes Premiere allows for films that the festival wants to give recognition to but due to limited space in the competition section simply cannot accommodate.
While the following films will not be competing for prizes, they all get the privilege and all the benefits that come with having their red carpet premiere at the festival.
‘Aline, the Voice of Love,’ Valerie Lemercier
‘Babi Yar. Context,’ Sergei Loznitsa
‘Bac Nord,’ Cédric Jimenez
‘Emergency Declaration,’ Han Jae-Rim
‘In His Lifetime’ OR ‘De son vivant,’ Emmanuelle Bercot
Not an official section, a confusing section that the Festival uses to screen work by festival alumni and documentary makers.
‘Black Notebooks,’ Shlomi Elkabetz
‘H6,’ Yé Yé
‘Jane by Charlotte,’ Charlotte Gainsbourg
‘JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass,’ Oliver Stone
‘Mariner of the Mountains,’ Karim Aïnouz
‘Baby Yar. Context.’ Sergei Loznitsa
‘The Year of the Everlasting Storm,’ Jafar Panahi, Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Laura Poitras, Dominga Sotomayar, David Lowery, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul
‘New Worlds, The Cradle Of A Civilization,’ Andrew Muscato.
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Jacqueline Postajian is a contributor at Hollywood Insider. A lifelong cinephile, she hopes to put her passion for film analysis and discussion to good use by using her platform to shine a spotlight on often overlooked films and filmmakers. Like everyone at Hollywood Insider, she believes in the power of good film journalism as a way to broaden audiences' horizons and facilitate conversation. Her interests lie mostly in female filmmaking, independent film, studying Classical and New Wave Cinema, and has a passion for theatre.
Jacqueline Postajian is a contributor at Hollywood Insider. A lifelong cinephile, she hopes to put her passion for film analysis and discussion to good use by using her platform to shine a spotlight on often overlooked films and filmmakers. Like everyone at Hollywood Insider, she believes in the power of good film journalism as a way to broaden audiences’ horizons and facilitate conversation. Her interests lie mostly in female filmmaking, independent film, studying Classical and New Wave Cinema, and has a passion for theatre.
Jacqueline Postajian is a contributor at Hollywood Insider. A lifelong cinephile, she hopes to put her passion for film analysis and discussion to good use by using her platform to shine a spotlight on often overlooked films and filmmakers. Like everyone at Hollywood Insider, she believes in the power of good film journalism as a way to broaden audiences’ horizons and facilitate conversation. Her interests lie mostly in female filmmaking, independent film, studying Classical and New Wave Cinema, and has a passion for theatre.
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