Saudi Arabia Finances French Film “Jeanne du Barry” for Cannes Festival Kickoff

At 7pm today (Tuesday) it all kicks off.

Eight months of preparations, contacts and follow-up reduce to the time when the prestigious Cannes Festival will begin its 76th session.

Technical, technical, administrative and security measures are over. Guests have arrived or are on their way to arrive. The films are ready, led by the film chosen for the opening, which is “Jeanne du Barry” by the actress turned director (without losing her position in front of the screen) Mayon (sufficed with one word for her name).

The film is French, and Saudi Arabia contributed to its financing (through the “Red Sea Festival”), and its selection at the forefront of the festival this year to open its session has more than one indication.

First: that Saudi Arabia can now, and after leaps not exceeding four years, since the issuance of government decisions to promote the cinematic industry through all available portals, can be proud that a film that participated in its financing opened the festival, and officially joined the club of adults in this tradition.

Second: In a parallel way, this is an announcement to the world that Saudi cinema is present, ready, and worthy of attention, especially after the media acclaim that accompanied this Saudi cinematic activity in the past few years.

And on a third level: “Jeanne du Barry” promises to be just the beginning of what Saudi Arabia is planning (through the government’s “Film Authority” and all other institutions). The plans are preserved until then, but work to invest in all cinema affairs, at the level of local and international production, and to attract Western institutions for filming in the Kingdom is in full swing, and with professionalism that other countries can learn from.

flight from the bottom

“My Life Project,” director and actress Mayon says in a recent interview. Biography of Jeanne de Barry (1743-1793), who was the last mistress of King Louis XV. The film tells of her relentless quest to enter the upper echelon of French society at the time, despite her humble background. She was born an illegitimate daughter, and moved with her mother to Paris, where she took lessons in the service of one of the city’s wealthy. In her teens she left her service, moved to work as a peddler, then as an assistant to a hair stylist, and then became an escort to a countess (Madame Digard). This caused a quarrel between the two sons of the countess, which prompted her to dispense with her.

Not much is known about how Jeanne Dubarry made her way from these positions to her entry into the widest French court. But her striking beauty certainly made her way easier, and attracted the attention of men, including King Louis XV, with whom she had the privilege of being acquainted, and then accompanying him during a ball at the Palace of Versailles. Jean-Baptiste du Barry (no relation), saw her as having influence over the king and his decisions.

Then, in the late eighties of the eighteenth century, when the “French Revolution” broke out, Jeanne was led to execution by guillotine (like many in the circles of the previous regime) on charges that she had helped some escape.

It is not known what the film will tell about Jean de Barry’s journey in life, and to what extent what it will show corresponds to reality, because the film was not shown to the press in advance). But actress Mayon (or Mayon Lubescu, as her full name is) probably knows how to seize opportunities and occasions to present such a huge work after a series of films that managed to establish her presence on the French scene.

She was born in the year 1976 into a family with multiple branches. Her grandfather is Algerian, her father is Vietnamese, and her mother is French. In the same interview, she says that her childhood was not happy at all: “I lived young with my father after my parents divorced. He would hit me for the slightest reason.” When she moved to live with her mother, she also used violence with her, and she expressed this in a later interview with critic Guy Lodge three years ago, when she said: “My mother is poison in my life.”

Before that interview, she had directed a film in which she recounted part of her childhood and life. The movie “Forgive Me” original name “Pardonmnez-moi”. That film was her first directorial film in 2006. At that time, she had been divorced twice, and one of her husbands was director and producer Luc Besson, as their marriage lasted five years.

other movies

“Jeanne du Barry” is her seventh film, and four of these films were shown in previous “Cannes” sessions, namely “Police” (2011), “My King” (Mon Roi) (2015), (ADN) 2020, and “Tralala”. (2021).

“Jeanne du Barry” is shown outside the competition, and the films in competition will start on Wednesday with two films, Monster by Corey – Ida Hirokazu (Japan), “Le Retour” by Catherine Corsini (France), and May December by Todd Haynes (United States). Chun Luang Ping (China).

Among other films that are expected to excite audiences, the media and movie buffs alike are “Asteroid City” by American Wes Anderson, “Club Zero” by Jessica Harzner (Austria, Britain, Germany), and “Firebrand” by Karim Ainouz (Britain). So everything is quiet, waiting for the opening and arrival at the festival two days before its start, and after attending another busy festival, albeit with a great difference in cultural identity, which is the “Saudi Film Festival”, which enhances that anticipation, and gives those who come to the city to attend the festival for the 38th time some rest before storm.