Cannes 2009 Day 6: Shattered Lives in Franco’s Daniel & Ana

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Perhaps the most disturbing film you’ll find at Cannes this year (yes more disturbing than Antichrist) is the debut film from Mexican helmer Michel Franco. Because of the added shock value and photo treatment, I expect many will make comparisons between Daniel y Ana and the work from fellow directors Carlos Reygadas and Amat Escalante. Gael Garcia Bernal’s brother Dario Yazbek Bernal and television actress Marimar Vega play a pair of siblings who are part of an affluent family and who get abducted, but it is what occurs during their abduction and more specially the moment after they get released where Franco goes into some fairly difficult to watch territory. The troublesome portrait should make waves on the film festival circuit due to the subject matter (that I was unaware of 90 minutes before the screening) but its treatment. Here are some pics from the press conference at the Director’s Fortnight tent.

Daniel & Ana Michel Franco and Marimar Vega

Director and lead actress.

Daniel & Ana Michel Franco and Marimar Vega

Marimar Vega

Daniel & Ana Michel Franco and Marimar Vega

Vega and poster one sheet.

Eric Lavallée
Eric Lavalléehttps://www.ericlavallee.com
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist, and critic at IONCINEMA.com, established in 2000. A regular at Sundance, Cannes, and Venice, Eric holds a BFA in film studies from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013, he served on the narrative competition jury at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson’s "This Teacher" (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022, he was a New Flesh Juror for Best First Feature at the Fantasia International Film Festival. His top films for 2023 include The Zone of Interest (Glazer), Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (Pham Thien An), Totem (Lila Avilés), La Chimera (Alice Rohrwacher), All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (Raven Jackson). He is a Golden Globes Voter.

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