Even when you include Gus Van Sant's Restless, there are no surprises this morning with the names mentioned in the Masters programme finally released today. From Cannes, Aki Kaurismäki, the Dardennes, Bruno Dumont, Robert Guédiguian and a must-see masterwork from Nuri Bilge Ceylan make the cut, while from the upcoming Venice film festival we'll be heavily inclined to see Chantal Akerman's Almayer's Folly and Alexander Sokurov wrap up his trilogy of films about 20th-century rulers with Faust.
Pyramide, the French sales agent and theatrical distribution had a great Cannes last year repping films that collected prizes in: A Screaming Man and Ano Bisiesto. This year they've got another Bruno Dumont film (see pic above), the closing film in the UCR section with Andrey Zvyagintsev's Elena and Ismael Ferroukhi receives an invite as well for Free Men in a Cannes' section that we figure isn't really part of the festival since there are no official press screenings made available.
Un poison violent (translates into Love Like Poison) is Jean Vigo prize wining screenplay - your typical French family drama big on dialogue, not interested in style. Helmer Katell Quillévéré presented her directorial debut in the Quinzaine last night and I couldn't help think back to last year's Bruno Dumont film Hadewijch - both films take certain aspects of religion and cross it with female adolescence.
With only Alain Resnais’ Les Herbes Folles and Bruno Dumont's Hadewijch as possible upset win scenario's, Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet was the logical winner for France’s Louis Delluc prize of best French film of the year.