The Cannes Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, and it is the largest and one of the most well-known film festivals in the world. This festival premieres new films of all different genres from around the globe. The 77th Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, the top prize at the festival, was awarded to Sean Baker's "Anora," which is being distributed by NEON and will release later this year. While I did not attend the festival in person, I was fortunate enough to be sent digital screeners to cover it as a member of the press for the first time. I watched four different films that premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, which I will be reviewing here! I hope you check out all these films when they release in the future!
World Premiere:
Film #1: All We Imagine As Light- Won 2024 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix Prize
(2nd Place)
"All We Imagine As Light" is the film that garnered the most critical praise out of all the films at this year's 77th Cannes Film Festival. This was also the first Indian film to screen in the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 30 years. Payal Kapadia’s second feature film is beautifully poetic in every sense of the word. This film dives deep into the lives of three Indian women living in Mumbai and shines a light on their lives and emotions. Each of the women within the story has complex and rich lives, and the screenplay does an excellent job conveying this. We see the realities of the situations presented and the internal and external conflicts that exist. The authentic performances by Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha are excellent and, while subtle, bring deep and complex emotions to their characters. The bond that exists between these characters and the way these characters are played by Kusruti and Prabha is nothing short of wonderful. The film is also very well shot, and the cinematography and color palette really add to the film, shaping the vast and vibrant city of Mumbai. I am someone who is a sucker for a grounded story, and I loved the way the story was grounded, and the way Kapadia is able to create an exquisite atmospheric drama with complex characters! This is truly a tender and beautiful film by Payal Kapadia! This film is definitely my favorite film of my four Cannes screeners, and the star rating is most likely going to increase on a rewatch! Would highly recommend checking this film out when it gets released later this year.
Review: 4/5 Stars (My Favorite Film of the Four Films)
Sideshow and Janus Films secured North American distribution rights- Will most likely have a Fall 2024 release date
UN CERTAIN REGARD:
Film #2: The Story of Souleymane (L’Historire de Souleymane)- Won 2024 Un Certain Regard Jury’s Prize and Abou Sangaré won 2024 Un Certain Regard Best Actor prize
"The Story of Souleymane" is a really touching and intriguing story following an asylum seeker's journey in preparing for and conducting his interview for asylum in France. The story is suspenseful and displays realist filmmaking techniques, reminiscent of Bicycle Thieves in a way, and features gorgeous cinematography among the streets of France. There is this tension building throughout as we follow Souleymane, who is a migrant worker trying to survive in Paris. The lead performance by newcomer Abou Sangré is truly excellent, especially towards the end where the race-against-the-clock element culminates in a very powerful finale. Abou Sangré in this finale is showstopping, and I have not stopped thinking about this ending scene since I saw the film. This is a really well-made film by Boris Lojkine, and I hope to see Abou Sangré in more films in the future!
Review: 4/5 Stars
The Film is Still Seeking U.S. Distribution, Release Date: TBA
Film #3: Holy Cow (Vingt Dieux)- Won Un Certain Regard Prix de la Jeunesse
(Youth Award)
"Holy Cow" certainly has its moments, but for the most part, it is a simple and typical coming-of-age drama. While the characters are standard for your typical drama and the plot is rather simple, the film is heartfelt and quite funny at points as well. The film captures this young boy's journey and tackles some interesting things such as grief and growing up in an intriguing way. The young adult leads of Clément Faveau and Maïwene Barthelemy are very likable and deliver solid performances. Louise Courvoisier definitely gets the most out of her non-professional actors. The cinematography is the best technical element of the film and really captures the hills of France well. I personally wish the film dug a little deeper into its characters and the plot was a little more complex. While "Holy Cow" is a pretty standard coming-of-age film, it’s definitely not a bad directorial debut by Courvoisier!
Review: 3/5 Stars
The Film is Still Seeking U.S. Distribution, Release Date: TBA
Film #4: When the Light Breaks (Ljósbrot)- Film D’Ouverture
(Un Certain Regard Opening Film)
Cannes Un Certain Regard opening film "When the Light Breaks" is a beautiful film exploring grief and friendships during times of tragedy. While the film is very small in scale overall and the performances, mostly from young people, are subtle for the most part, each is deeply impactful. The film itself is very moving overall. The absolute standout performance is Elín Hall, who gives one of my favorite performances of the year so far. Her portrayal, like most of the cast, is subtle yet filled with complexity and authenticity. The film is very short, and some of the ideas never feel fully fleshed out, and there is part of me that wonders if this would have been better as a short film. The film is gorgeously shot from beginning to end, and cinematographer Sophia Olsson captures the vibrant summer in Iceland beautifully. While the storytelling isn’t perfect, I really enjoyed the latest film by Rúnar Rúnarsson for its authentic performances and moving story!
Review: 3.5/5 Stars
The Film is Still Seeking U.S. Distribution, Release Date: TBA
Want more Film Festival Coverage? Check out my 2024 Philadelphia Film Society SpringFest Recap Here:
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