World Film Report Australia: Cannes Special

While this year’s Cannes Film Festival might be bookended by Aussie talent, it be fair to assess this year’s representation of Australia’s Film industry as “short” in stature. A trio of films have been selected for the festival, and of the three we find a pair of short films. Muscles, written and directed by Edward Housden follows the story of boy and his sister who wants to be a bodybuilder, and will screen in Official Competition. Deeper Than Yesterday, (see trailer) written and directed by Ariel Kleiman (who received an Honourable Mention in Short Filmmaking at Sundance) tells the story of Oleg, who emerges after 3 months underwater and fears that losing perspective may mean losing himself. The short will premiere as part of Cannes Critics’ Week.

The Tree, the Australian/French co-production will be the closing night film at the festival on May 23, as it makes its international premiere. Directed by Julie Bertuccelli, a previous Grand Prize winner at Cannes, and starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Aden Young the film explores the capacity of imagination as a means to survive and the unstoppable power of life asserting itself over sadness as a young girl believes her dead father is speaking to her through a tree, while her mother begins a relationship with the man who has been called in to remove the tree’s roots. The fest opens with Robin Hood – starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. 

Among the films that will feature as market screenings are David Michod’s powerhouse crime drama Animal Kingdom featuring Ben Mendelsohn and Guy Pearce, and Jeremy Sim’s trench warfare feature Beneath Hill 60, based on the true experiences of soldiers during World War I, which has just passed the $2 million mark at the Australian box office. Also featuring Guy Pearce is I Am You from Simon North, a tale of envy based on a true story and also featuring Sam Neill.

The western thriller Red Hill will screen, after receiving Official Selection at Berlin and is considered Australia’s answer to No Country For Old Men. Buddy comedy I Love You Too, written by comedian Peter Helliar, and featuring Brendan Cowell and Peter Dinklage, who recently featured in both versions of Death at a Funeral deals with the issues of male friendships and having the courage to chase after the girl that you want. Andrew Traucki’s film The Reef follows a group of friends who are ship-wrecked and stalked by a great white shark. The film features Damian Walshe-Howling and Gyton Grantley of Underbelly fame. Continuing with thrillers The Clinic is James Rabbitts film about a mother whose child has been abducted.

In the horror genre Brett Anstey’s Damned by Dawn sees the dead rise and battles with spirits, while John V Soto’s Needle follows a group of friends that unlock the powers behind and 18th Century device which has recently secured distribution in Germany, Brazil and the Middle East.

In the documentary category is Going Vertical narrated by Simon Baker, and featuring some of the world’s finest surfing talent such as Kelly Slater.