A year after Maren Ade's "Toni Erdmann" took Cannes by storm, the world's most important film festival is paying closer attention to German cinema than it has in a long time - including Diane Kruger's first German film.
Image: Festival de Cannes
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While it failed to snag any of the festival prizes, "Toni Erdmann"was the critics' favorite at last year's installment of the Cannes Film Festival, where it began its long journey to worldwide acclaim, culminating in an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film and five European Film Awards.
This year, Germany has a robust showing at Cannes, including a competition slot for Fatih Akin, who will present his new thriller, "In the Fade," later this week. It seems safe to say that Akin's Hamburg-set terrorism drama is the most eagerly awaited film remaining to be screened.
"Tony Erdmann" didn't score at Cannes, but racked up a slew of other prizesImage: Komplizen Film
"In the Fade" is the German-Turkish director's first time back to the Croisette in a decade, after "The Edge of Heaven," which won the festival's prize for best screenplay in 2007. Valeska Grisebach's "Western," screening in the Cannes sidebar Un Certain Regard, is the second German production in the festival's official selection.
Subtle approach to politics this year
Additionally, there are five German co-productions vying for the Palme d'Or, including some of the festival's best-reviewed films so far: Michael Haneke's French-language "Happy End," Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev's "Loveless," Ruben Östlund's Swedish art world satire "The Square," and the Hungarian refugee fantasy "Jupiter's Moon" by Kornél Mundruczó.
Speaking at the German cocktail party on Saturday night at the Villa Rothschild, German Minister of Culture Monika Grütters expressed pride over Germany's showing at this year's installment.
"After 'Toni Erdmann,' we are glad to have another great women director," she said, referring to Grisebach, whose film follows a group of German construction workers in Bulgaria and their strained relations with the locals.
While not overtly political in the way that Akin's film promises to be, "Western"engages subtly with political issues in a manner typical of many of this year's films.
"I think the western genre is a very conservative genre, but also a very modern genre," Grisebach explained between drags on her cigarette. "It always deals with questions about society, how you place yourself in a society, if you play by the rules, the question of empathy and the rule of force," the director continued.
"Western" traces German construction workers in Bulgaria Image: Festival de Cannes
German film boosted at home and abroad
Expressing admiration for the film, Grütters called it an excellent example of German "Autorenkino" (auteur cinema).
"Germany is very important on the political scale in terms of global perspectives. That also makes German film important because the film tells the political and current social stories," she explained. Citing recent increases in government subsidies for film, Grütters said such support is crucial as German film becomes increasingly prominent on an international level.
"These budget increases help remove restrictions for filmmakers. On the other hand, big international companies can come and make their films in Germany and big German productions don't need to look for places to film outside of Germany. I think these were two very important signals to filmmakers," she said.
Diane Kruger's first German-language film
Fatih Akin's film stars German-born Hollywood starlet Diane Kruger as a woman who loses her husband and son in a terror attack (top picture). Somewhat surprisingly, this is Kruger's first time making a film in her native language.
Asked whether he felt, as a director, that the film landscape in Germany had changed since "Toni Erdmann," Akin answered without hesitation. "Definitely yes," he practically shouted. "Maren Ade's impact here was huge and she created interest worldwide in German films. Before her, it was more limited to individual filmmakers, but now the interest is certainly more general."
Akin's best-known film remains "Head On," which won him a Golden Bear at the 2004 Berlinale film festival. So wow does Cannes stack up against Berlin? "The weather is better here," he said with a laugh.
German filmmaker Maren Ade is in the 2017 Cannes juryImage: Getty Images/C. Bilan
"I think Cannes has always been a place with a big interest in the question of what contemporary cinema is," added Grisebach, whose second film "Désir(s)"premiered in competition at the 2006 Berlinale. "It's very intense. There's a lot respect for directors and for film history, but the point is always about what cinema is now. You feel it in every talk, every interview. You feel it in the audience."
Grisebach is one of 12 female directors presenting their work at the festival, which has repeatedly come under attack for underrepresenting women filmmakers. With that it mind, it seems particularly remarkable that to have female directors representing Germany in Cannes two years in a row.
Ade brought German film to the world
Ade is back in Cannes as well, this year as a member of Pedro Almodóvar's international jury. Along with Will Smith, Jessica Chastain and Paolo Sorrentino, she will help judge the 19 films competing for the Palme d'Or, among them Haneke's "Happy End," a current favorite, and Akin's as-yet-unseen revenge drama.
While "Toni Erdmann"walked away empty-handed from Cannes last year, Ade's invitation to the prestigious nine-member jury looks a lot like a ringing endorsement from the festival and its director Thierry Fremaux.
As Grütters put it, "Maren Ade and 'Toni Erdmann' showed the whole world what German films are able to do."
What's hot and what's not at the Cannes Film Festival
The international film industry's crème de la crème is on the Côte d'Azur for the 70th Cannes Film Festival. A German film is in the running for the Palme d'Or and there are other surprises in store.
Image: Reuters/E. Gaillard
Film poster ruffles feathers
By the time the Cannes Film Festival opens on May 17, the controversy over this year's festival poster will have died down. The image features an obviously retouched 60-year-old-photo of ultra-slender actress Claudia Cardinale. It has fueled the current debate in France on underweight models - a topic that has divided the nation for some time.
Image: Reuters/E. Gaillard
Opening in French style
With Marion Cotillard and Charlotte Gainsbourg starring in Arnaud Desplechin's "Ismael's Ghosts," two impressive French actresses star in the film that will open the festival on Wednesday evening. The work tells the story of a man (Mathieu Amalric) who cannot get over the loss of a former love. It's showing out of competition in Cannes.
Image: Jean-Claude Lother/Why Not Productions
The private life of a legendary director
Following the kick-off, the festival will get down to business on Thursday with 18 films competing for the Palme d'Or this year. Particular attention is likely to be paid to the new work of Michel Hazanavicius (best known for his 2011 film, "The Artist"). In "Redoubtable," the French filmmaker recounts the relationship between star director Jean-Luc Godard and actress Anne Wiazemsky.
Image: Les Compagnons du Cinéma - Photo Philippe Aubry
Fatih Akin in competition
Following the critically acclaimed participation of "Toni Erdmann" in last year's competition, a German director has once again succeeded in entering the exclusive club of competitors. Fatih Akin will present his Hamburg-based film "In the Fade" in Cannes, starring Hollywood actress Diane Kruger.
Image: Festival de Cannes
Michael Haneke participates once again
Michael Haneke could well turn out to be the first director in the festival's history to win the Palme d'Or for the third time. Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Louis Trintignant star in the new film by the Austrian filmmaker, "Happy End," which focuses on the refugee crisis in Europe.
Image: Festival de Cannes
Palme d'Or more valuable than ever
As the festival is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the organizers have created a very special first prize. In 2017, the sought-after trophy will not only consist of 118 grams of pure gold. It will also be embellished with 167 diamonds - worth approximately 20,000 euros ($21,900).
Image: Getty Images/AFP/F. Coffrini
Independent US entries
What comes as a big surprise this year is that no works produced by big US film studios are participating in the competition. The US films that are vying for a Golden Palm have been produced by smaller independent studios, including the latest from director Sofia Coppola. Coppola's "The Beguiled" is the remake of a 1971 western that starred Clint Eastwood.
Image: Focus Features
Netflix productions stir a debate
Two in-competition productions by streaming provider Netflix have sparked discussion, among them "Okja" by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho. The festival organizers called on Netflix to release these films in movie theaters - but they refused. As a result, the rules will be changed next year: In-competition films will have to show in cinemas.
Image: Festival de Cannes
Pedro Almodóvar will have the final word
This year, Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar is heading the jury that will pick the lucky winner of the Palme d'Or. Among the eight jury members are German director Maren Ade, her Italian colleague Paolo Sorrentino, as well as American actress Jessica Chastain.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Movies from all over the world
Not only films from Western Europe, the US and Asia will compete for the trophy at the famous festival in southern France. Cannes attracts the best directors from all parts of the world, among them Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev. In "Nelyubov," he tells the story of a separation. Ingmar Bergman's "Scenes from a Marriage" served as his inspiration, says Zvyagintsev.
Image: Festival de Cannes
French cinematography
French films are traditionally well represented at the Cannes Film Festival. One of the directors participating in the competition is once again François Ozon, who is presenting his new movie "L'Amant Double," an erotic thriller with allusions to Hitchcock.
Image: Festival de Cannes
Outstanding side shows
The programs of the sections outside the competition, such as "Un Certain Regard" or "Quinzaine des Réalisateurs," are no less solid. For Germany, the film "Western" by director Valeska Grisebach, is part of the section "Un Certain Regard." It was produced by Maren Ade's production company, Komplizen.
Image: Festival de Cannes
Polanski in Cannes
Among the famous guests at this year's Cannes Film Festival is legendary director Roman Polanski. He will present his latest movie "Based on a True Story" out of competition. The psycho-thriller about literature - a play on truth and fiction - will be shown at the end of the festival.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Bednarczyk
Claude Lanzmann's latest work
Director Claude Lanzmann has already attained cult status - not for feature films, but for documentaries. Exploring the history of North Korea, the latest work of the 91-year-old filmmaker, "Napalm," is one of the numerous political films shown at this year's festival.
Image: picture-alliance/akg-images
Cannes takes a look at its own history
The series "Classics" features outstanding directors and films that once celebrated their premieres in Cannes. Marking its 70th anniversary this year, the festival has more than a few decades to look back on. Among these Cannes classics, some of them are shown in restored versions, such as "Blow up" by Michelangelo Antonioni.
Image: picture-alliance/maxppp
TV series find their place in Cannes
This year, Cannes is doing what other film festivals have already been doing for a long time. It is presenting entire television series, starting out with the first two sequels of the new version of "Twin Peaks." When the new episodes of David Lynch's cult series celebrate their premiere on the big screen in Cannes, they will be broadcast at the same time by Showtime all over the world.
Another first is on deck at this year's festival: Oscar-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu from Mexico will show his six-minute virtual reality film. It's still not clear how the presentation of "Carne y Arena" will be carried out. What's already known though is the topic of the experimental film - the situation of refugees in central and northern America.
