Cannes Film Festival 2009: Un Certain Regard
A Look At The Films Competing In The Prestigious Cannes Sidebar Program
Apr 27, 2009
With a name which literally translates to 'A Certain Glance', Un Certain Regard is the second most prestigious section of the Cannes Film Festival after the Palme d'Or, and aims to present 'original and different' works with an international outlook. So whilst plenty has been written about the films competing for the Palme d'Or this May, what about those competing for the Prix Un Certain Regard?
Original and Different
Amongst the better known names attracted to the festival's main sidebar is the man behind 2006 creature-feature The Host, Korean director Bong Joon Ho. Mother, his fourth feature is a tale of despairing faith and maternal devotion. Bahman Ghobadi, the distinguished Kurdish-Iranian director of A Time For Drunken Horses and Turtles Can Fly, returns to Cannes with the wonderfully titled Nobody Knows About The Persian Cats which, according to Festival Director Thierry Fremaux will surprise audiences and treat the uninitiated to a lesson in Iranian rap.
Having already bagged a Camera d'Or for 12:08 East of Bucharest in 2006, Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu also returns to Cannes with Politist, Adjectiv which traces the story of a policeman whose social conscience lands him in hot water with his superiors. Also representing Romania is Tales From The Golden Age, a portamanteau film recounting a series of personal stories at the end of Communist rule and helmed by a string of directors led by Cristian Mungiu who won the 2007 Palme d'Or with 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days.
Another frequent visitor to Cannes is Thailand's Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (Last Life In The Universe, Invisible Waves, Ploy), who presents his latest project Nang Mai (Nymph), a surrealistic supernatural thriller in which a young woman's life is turned upside down after her husband is abducted by a jungle nymph.
First Timers
Un Certain Regard also has a reputation for recognising outstanding works by first time feature directors, with the 2009 list containing two debutants. Haim Tabakman's Israeli/German co-production, Eyes Wide Open, is a gay love story set deep in the heart of Jerusalem's Jewish orthodoxy.
Meanwhile, indigenous Australian director Warwick Thornton (whose Nana won the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film at last years Berlin International Film Festival) will present Samson and Delilah - a brutally minimalistic portrayal of teenage life in Australia's outback communities. Certainly an outside chance for an award, the film is fresh from its recent world premiere at the 2009 Adelaide Film Festival, where it not only received a standing ovation but was judged best film by the festival audience.
From Hollywood To Filipino Avant-Garde
Amongst the other features in the Un Certain Regard sidebar are the latest offering from avant-garde Filipino director Raya Martin (Independencia), César winning French director Alain Cavalier's first dramatic feature in seven years (Irene), the new feature from the director of 2006's The Page Turner, Denis Dercourt (Demain des l'Aube), the second directorial outing for Lee Daniels, producer of Monster's Ball and The Woodsman (Precious), and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda's adaptation of a manga in which an inflatable doll develops a soul and finds love (Kuki Ningyo / Air Doll).
The 2009 Cannes Film Festival begins on May 13 and concludes with the closing film and awards ceremony on May 24. A full list of the officially selected films can be found on the festival's official website.
 |
