2022 Cannes: Goutte d’Or, Alma Viva & The Woodcutter Story Among Critics’ Week Selections

The newly minted “French Touch” award could easily define Critics’ Week topper Ava Cahen’s first line-up edition – as the 2022 slate is full of promising France funded productions and co-productions. Eleven features in all is the tally for the 61st edition – with a competition filled only with first time features (and Camera d’Or hopefuls).

The section will open with the only filmed to have preemed elsewhere in Jesse Eisenberg‘s When You Finish Saving The World (read review). The sidebar is book-ended by closing film Next Sohee by South Korea helmer Jung July.  Honored with special screening status are two items that are among our most anticipated films of 2022 in Clément Cogitore‘s sophomore feature Goutte d’Or (Sons Of Ramses) produced by Titane producer Jean-Christophe Reymond and starring Karim Leklou. The filmmaker was in the section a couple of years back with The Wakhan Front and this film won a prestigious screenwriting award before lensing. Tout le monde aime Jeanne (Everybody loves Jeanne) by Céline Devaux stars Blanche Gardin and some crafty animation to boot – the cinematographer is Olivier Boonjing who lensed the Critics’ Week selected Zero Fucks Given.

Of the 1100 entries, the seven comp films is a mostly Euro mix of films beginning with  one of our most anticipated debut film features in Finnish filmmaker Mikko Myllylahti‘s The Woodcutter Story. Might as well add Cristèle Alves Meira‘s much buzzed Alma Viva (fka Bruxa) to the titles to watch out for in the section. Belgium’s Emmanuelle Nicot‘s Dalva (Love according to Dalva) featureds Zelda Samson, Fanta Guirassi and Alexis Manenti who was an antagonizing force (and creator of) Les Misérables. Another French-speaking item is Nos Cérémonies (Summer Scars) by Simon Rieth

Charlotte Wells who was profiled in Filmmaker Magazine 25 will debut Aftersun which stars Paul Mescal and newbie Francesca Corio as a father and daughter in downtime resort parable. Iran has a two film presence in the hunt of the Palme d’Or and also surfaces here with Ali Behrad‘s Tasavor (Imagine). It stars the very familiar face of A Separation actress Leila Hatami. And we also find a Colombian entry Andrés Ramírez Pulido (La Jauría).

Here’s the full lineup (which includes shorts from the likes of Diego Céspedes, Evi Kalogiropoulou and Yann Gonzalez) and video announcement.

Aftersun (UK / U.S.) – Dir. Charlotte Wells
Alma Viva (Portugal / France) – Dir. Cristèle Alves Meira
Dalva (Love according to Dalva) (Belgium / France) – Dir. Emmanuelle Nicot
La Jauría (Colombia / France) – Dir. Andrés Ramírez Pulido
Metsurin tarina (The Woodcutter Story) (Finland) – Dir. Mikko Myllylahti
Nos Cérémonies (Summer Scars) (France) – Dir. Simon Rieth
Tasavor (Imagine) (Iran) – Dir. Ali Behrad

Special screenings
When You Finish Saving The World (U.S.) – Opening Film – Dir. Jesse Eisenberg
Goutte d’Or (Sons Of Ramses) (France) – Dir. Clément Cogitore
Tout le monde aime Jeanne (Everybody loves Jeanne) (France / Portugal) – Dir. Céline Devaux
Da-eum-so-hee (Next Sohee) (South Korea) – Closing Film Dir. Jung July

Short Films
Canker (China) Dir. Lin Tu
Cuerdas (Chords) (Spain) – Dir. Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
Will You Look At Me – (China) – Dir. Shuli Huang
Ice Merchants (Portugal / UK / France) – Dir. João Gonzalez
It’s Nice in Here (Netherlands) – Dir. Robert-Jonathan Koeyers
Las criaturas que se derriten bajo el sol (Chile / France) – Dir. Diego Céspedes
I didn’t make it to love her (Bosnia / Spain / UK) – Dir. Anna Fernandez De Paco
On Xerxes’ Throne – (Greece) – Dir. Evi Kalogiropoulou
Manta Ray – (France) – Dir. Anton Bialas
Swan in the center – (France) – Dir. Iris Chassaigne

Short Films – Special Screenings
Amo (France) – Dir. Emmanuel Gras
Hideous (UK) – Dir. Yann Gonzalez
Scale (France / UK / Czech Republic / Belgium) – Dir. Joseph Pierce