Festival Predictions

2013 Cannes Film Festival Predictions: Ruxandra Zenide’s About Cosmetics and Happiness

Published on April 3, 2013

#80. Ruxandra Zenide’s About Cosmetics and Happiness

Gist: The second part of a trilogy that started with Zenide’s Ryna. In this one, Felicia, a young Romanian girl, arrives in Geneva for her mother’s funerals. Her mother was working in a cosmetic factory to send her money in Bucharest. Little by little, Felicia steps into her mother’s life – her apartment, her job, her friends – but realizes soon she wants more. The encounter with the factory’s manager seems to offer her new perspectives and opportunities. But there is a price to pay, and Felicia has to deal with her own values and identity.

Prediction: This is prime Critics Week material, the kind of wholesome, sophomore Euro-indie coming-of-age drama the sidebar eats for breakfast. The only question is will it be ready in time. Production company Elefant Films already lists a running time (90min…not to mention a shooting format of 35mm!), so we’ll take that as a sign that it’s almost or already in the can.

Related Topics:2013 Cannes Film Festival, About Cosmetics and Happiness, Ruxandra Zenide

Blake Williams

Blake Williams is an avant-garde filmmaker born in Houston, currently living and working in Toronto. He recently entered the PhD program at University of Toronto's Cinema Studies Institute, and has screened his video work at TIFF (2011 & '12), Tribeca (2013), Images Festival (2012), Jihlava (2012), and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley. Blake has contributed to IONCINEMA.com's coverage for film festivals such as Cannes, TIFF, and Hot Docs. Top Films From Contemporary Film Auteurs: Almodóvar (Talk to Her), Coen Bros. (Fargo), Dardennes (Rosetta), Haneke (Code Unknown), Hsiao-Hsien (Flight of the Red Balloon), Kar-wai (Happy Together), Kiarostami (Where is the Friend's Home?), Lynch (INLAND EMPIRE), Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs), Van Sant (Last Days), Von Trier (The Idiots)