Both Maestros And New Faces Vie For The 2019 Cannes Palme D’Or

Both Maestros And New Faces Vie For The 2019 Cannes Palme D’Or

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT MALTI SAHAI

CANNES: Altogether eight filmmakers are competing in the Cannes competition for the first time, along with eminent directors who have already won awards on the Croisette. This has reignited the debate as to whether the winds of change bringing fresh blood to the Croisette was about to completely die down, favouring the “regular” filmmakers already established as ‘maestros ‘ at Cannes. Admittedly, some very big names will be participating including Ken Loach (Palme d’Or in 2006 and 2016 – he is taking part for the 14th time), Belgium’s Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Palme d’Or in 1999 and 2005 – their eighth time) and the USA’s Terrence Malick (Palme d’Or in 2011 – his third time), Later announcements added USA’s Quentin Tarantino (Palme d’Or in 1994) and France’s Abdellatif Kechiche (Palme d’Or in 2013). Both managed to complete editing their films in time to participate in the festival. In addition to the previously awarded names, there will also be filmmakers whose talents have already been more than borne out. These include five directors who have previously won prizes (either directly or via their actors) on the grand stage of Cannes’ Lumière Theatre: The USA’s Jim Jarmusch (he’s taking part for the eighth time), Spaniard Pedro Almodóvar (sixth time), France’s Arnaud Desplechin (sixth time), Palestine’s Elia Suleiman (third time) and Canada’s Xavier Dolan (third time). Also returning to the hunt for the Palme d’Or are Italy’s Marco Bellocchio (seventh time), South Korea’s Bong Joon-ho (second time) and Brazil’s Kleber Mendonça Filho (second time, and who has this time co-directed with Juliano Dornelles – who, for his part, will be taking his baby steps in competition).

These award winners will all be competing with the eight directors in the starting blocks who are novices at this lofty level but bring a strong sense of freshness to the selection. These names include France’s Céline Sciamma and Justine Triet, French-Malian director Ladj Ly, French-Senegalese helmer Mati Diop, Austria’s Jessica Hausner, Romania’s Corneliu Porumboiu, the USA’s Ira Sachs and China’s Diao Yi’nan (Golden Bear at Berlin in 2014).

This fine generational balance in the competition which also includes four female directors looks set to generate a very appealing and exciting selection in terms of quality and the diversity of styles and genres.

The debate, however, remains open. Perhaps the’ Maestros’ could take a page from the example of the much awarded ‘Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar’, who voluntarily gave up competing for awards in favour of up-and-coming talents.

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