2022 Cannes: Hlynur Pálmason, Agnieszka Smoczyńska & Davy Chou in the Un Certain Regard
Still without the section opener and a couple of films shy from being complete, nearly half of the fifteen titles selected for this year’s Un Certain Regard section are first time projects. Beginning with the known knowns, we’re excited to see two Euro filmmakers move up the Croisette. Iceland’s Hlynur Pálmason and Poland’s Agnieszka Smoczyńska both premiered their last feature films in the Critics’ Week and they’ll both be offering their third feature films respectively. Pálmason’s Vanskabte Land (we discussed the project in last week’s five under-the-radar) stars Elliott Crosset Hove, Ingvar Sigurðsson, Vic Carmen Sonne, Jacob Hauberg Lohmann, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir and only receives its domestic release in December. In our most anticipated films for the year, Smocynska’s The Silent Twins (a Focus Features project) is the filmmaker’s English language debut with Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance toplining.
Also “moving up” from the Critics’ Week section (he was there in 2016 with Diamond Island) is Cambodia’s Davy Chou with All the People I’ll Never Be which stars Ji-Min Park, Kang-Rok Oh and Guka Han. From Austria, Marie Kreutzer (her last film The Ground Beneath My Feet was in competition for the Golden Bear) gives us Corsage — which stars Vicky Krieps Empress Elisabeth aka Sisi as she is moments away from turning forty. Another former Berlinale (with A Tale of Three Sisters) filmmaker in the section is Emin Alper‘s Burning Days. Rounding out the non-newbies are three sophomore features in the likes of Costa Rican Ariel Escalante Meza (Domingo and the Midst), Norwegian Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself) and Australian actor-turned director Thomas M Wright (The Stranger).
From the seven directorial debuts we find Riley Keough (look for her to be on the red carpet for Luhrmann’s Elvis) had teamed on a project with Gina Gammell which we knew as Beast (and thought was a genuine Sundance type film) – look for a possible title change before the premiere. Another tag-team in the section is Lise Akora and Romane Gueret with a film about filmmaking (with young people) in Les Pires. France also has one more offering in the section in Lola Quivoron‘s Rodeo – dirt bike culture featuring Julie Ledru in the backdrop of Bordeaux and produced by Charles Gillibert.
A Cinefondation selected director with Niagara in 2014, Japanese helmer Hayakawa Chie arrives with Plan 75 – which tells the nutty tale about logistical and financial support to citizens aged 75 and more to be euthanized. Romanian filmmaker Alexandru Belc gives us Metronom – which the director calls a love story between two teenagers, but also a personal story of betrayal, liberty, forgiveness. From Pakistan, Saim Sadiq‘s Joyland and Ukrainian Maksim Nakonechnyi‘s Butterfly Vision were also selected.
Here are the fifteen selections with more in sight.
“All the People I’ll Never Be” Davy Chou (Cambodia)
“Beast,” Riley Keough and Gina Gammell (U.S.)
“Burning Days,” Emin Alper (Turkey)
“Butterfly Vision,” Maksim Nakonechnyi (Ukraine)
“Corsage,” Marie Kruetzer (Austria)
“Domingo and the Mist,” Ariel Escalante Meza (Costa Rica)
“Joyland,” Saim Sadiq (Pakistan)
“Metronom,” Alexandru Belc (Romania)
“Plan 75,” Hayakawa Chie (Japan)
“Rodeo,” Lola Quivoron (France)
“Sick of Myself,” Kristoffer Borgli
“The Silent Twins,” Agnieszka Smocynska (Poland)
“The Stranger,” Thomas M. Wright
“Volada Land,” Hlynur Pálmason (Iceland)
“The Worst” OR “Les Pires,” Lise Akora and Romane Gueret (France)
