White steps, rather than a red carpet. Masks on the nose, rather than a badge on the neck. Anonymous people protecting themselves from the Covid-19 behind their textile protection, rather than stars of the 7th art under the flashes of photographers. No grandiose party or gala screening, but just a few found freedoms to come and go at the time of deconfinement.
The 73rd edition of the Film Festival should have opened this Wednesday evening, but the cinemas remain closed, and on the Croisette, the event, which was postponed for a time, is definitively canceled.
“By the end of the summer, there will be no festival with its totems,” said President Pierre Lescure and general delegate Thierry Frémaux, to our colleagues from Le Figaro and Le Nouvel Obs.
And if a Korean Parasite had triumphed at Cannes last year by winning the Palme d’Or and a great public success in theaters, it is a microscopic virus from China which is undermining the biggest world meeting of the 7th art this year. However, even absent physically in the shade of palm trees, the event intends to exist “in one form or another”, to support the film industry as a whole, and promote films that should have been screened in Cannes.
On the business side, a digital film market will take place on the web (from the Net) from June 22 to 26, which should include economic survival in the credits (no end, hopefully). As for the shortlisted films, they will benefit from a Cannes 2020 label to be displayed … in other festivals, or when they are released in theaters.
Selection in June
Thierry Frémaux has already revealed that Tre Piani by Nanni Moretti, The French Dispatch by Wes Anderson, and Benedetta by Paul Verhoeven could enjoy this prestige, since they were considered for Cannes.
As well as Spike Lee’s next film, Da 5 Bloods, which was to be screened out of competition on the Croisette and which will be released directly on … Netflix in June. However, the director of Do The Right Thing has already said that he was ready to remain president of the jury in 2021, failing to honor this function in 2020.
The other labeled films will also be revealed in June.
Finally, if discussions are still taking place between Cannes and the Venice Film Festival for a form of association in September, the Cannes 2020 films should still be exported to other festivals, in France (Deauville, Lyon, Angoulême) or abroad (New York, Toronto, Pusan, San Sebastien). Like Lagardère in Le Bossu, if cinema does not come to Cannes, then Cannes will go to the cinema!
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