Posters, red carpet, sanitary measures… After three weeks of assembly, the 75and edition only has one day left before receiving, from May 17 to 28, moviegoers and professionals.
Final preparations before the deluge of films, stars and glitter: on the eve of the opening of the 75th Cannes Film Festival, the Croisette is preparing to welcome the cinema planet and regain its festive airs. Rope access workers unfurled the poster for the 75th edition on Sunday, inspired by a scene from the film The Truman Showon the pediment of the Palais des Festivals. “Tuesday will also be a big day for laying the carpet so here we are, we are coming to the end, for us, after three weeks of assembly”, welcomes José Will, head of the exhibition department at the Palais des Festivals, to AFPTV. On the Croisette, the Festival teams, like the dozens of hotels, palaces, restaurants and shops that are full at this time, have one last day to prepare everything.
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For this anniversary edition, more than 35,000 film lovers and professionals are preparing to join the seaside town of the Côte d’Azur. In an atmosphere swinging between stars, cream of auteur cinema and the echoes of the war in Ukraine through several selected films. “We are ready. The town hall has just redone everything, the whole place, so we hope that it will go well for the public.launches Jérémie Tripet, manager of the bistro L’avenue, a stone’s throw from the Croisette.
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Monday, the first festival-goers will begin to arrive, from all over the world, or almost: few Russian professionals are expected, the Festival having announced as soon as the invasion of Ukraine that it would not welcome “delegations” official or government-related structures. And some countries like China could be less present than usual, due to the health situation there. But in Cannes, the page of the Covid epidemic, which forced the cancellation in 2020 and an edition in July last year, seems turned: the Festival has returned to its usual dates and there will be no mandatory masks, no health pass this year.
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From Tuesday evening, the party and the 7and art regain their rights, after the arrival of the jury, chaired by the French actor Vincent Lindon, who succeeds Spike Lee. One of the first international stars to climb the steps will be actor Forest Whitaker (ghost dog, The Last King of Scotland). An honorary Palme d’Or will be awarded to him at the opening ceremony on Tuesday evening, presented by actress Virginie Efira. Many other stars will follow: Kristen Stewartwho will climb the steps alongside Léa Seydoux and Viggo Mortensen for the latest film by David Cronenberg, the promising Austin Butler and the veteran Tom Hanks, who play Elvis and his manager in an eventful biopic, and of course Tom Cruise for the latest Top Gun. On the competition side, 21 films – and 5 female directors – are in the running to succeed Titanium Gore and uncompromising Palme d’Or from the Frenchwoman Julia Ducournau, 2and crowned director in the history of the Festival.
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Among the filmmakers expected: David Cronenberg (Crash), which once again promises to shake the public with The crimes of the future Park Chan-wook (old boy) who returns with a sulphurous investigation (Decision to leave) or James Gray who will present Armageddon Timewith Anthony Hopkins and Anne Hathaway. Several already crowned filmmakers are in the running, including the Dardenne brothers (Rosetta) with Tori and LokitaRuben Östlund, the grittiest of Swedish filmmakers (The Square) with Without filteror Japanese Kore-eda (A family matter ), which this time turned broker with the South Korean star of Parasite , Song Kang-ho. As well as promising young talents, named Lukas Dhont or Leonor Serraille, both in competition for their second film.
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The Festival also promised not to forget Ukraine and last week added to the selection the posthumous film by Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravicius, killed in early April in Mariupol. His fiancée who accompanied him was able to bring back the images shot there and put them together. The competition will open on Wednesday with the latest film by Kirill Serebrennikov, who has become a symbol of Russian artists breaking with the regime since he was able to legally reach Europe after the outbreak of war.
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Cannes Film Festival: the Croisette puts on its 31 before the start