We already dove into the Cannes Competition Lineup so it's time to look at the other most famous program, Un Certain Regard, which tends to be where a lot of the edgier titles from younger directors go. Some years people actually think this program beats the main competition for quality (since the main competition generally defaults to the "masters," regardless of whether or not they happen to be having a strong year).
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Fernanda Montenegro in "Invisible Life"
Here is a bit about all that titles in Un Certain Regard. These films won't get quite as much buzz in May UNLESS they break out and the familiar refrain begins "Why wasn't this in the main competition?" You know how Cannes critics do...
Invisible Life, Karim Aïnouz (Brazil)
Fernanda Montenegro alert! ❤️ (see still above). The director of Futuro Beach is back with the only Latin American film in Un Certain Regard. This one is based on a novel that explores how men treat women and charts the destinies of two sisters from the 1940s through the 1970s in Rio de Janeira. The full title is The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao.
Beanpole, Kantemir Balagov (Russia)
Two young women rebuild their lives amid the ruins of war in 1945 Leningrad.
The Swallows of Kabul, Zabou Breitman & Eléa Gobé Mévellec (France)
This animated film, from two female directors, is about two couples living under the Taliban regime.
A Brother’s Love, Monia Chokri (Canada)
You'll remember Chokri as the co-lead of Xavier Dolan's Heartbeats several years ago. She's now a director and this is her debut feature so it's eligible for the Camera d'Or.
The Climb, Michael Angelo Covino (US)
A comedy about a male friendship.
Joan of Arc, Bruno Dumont (France)
Dumont's follow-up to his 2017 film Jeanette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc
A Sun That Never Sets, Olivier Laxe (Spain/France/Luxembourg)
A firefighter and an arsonist have linked destinies. Hearing conflicting reports as to whether this is in Galician which is an Indo-European language spoken mostly in Northwestern Spain or just Spanish.
Chambre 212, Christophe Honoré (France)
Right on the heels of Sorry Angel, Honoré is back! Honoré regular Chiaro Mastroianni stars with Vincent Lacoste Carole Bouqet, and Camille Cottin. This one is a comedy.
Port Authority, Danielle Lessovitz (US)
Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk, Roads) stars as a young midwesterner just off the bus who falls for a girl (Leyna Bloom) in NYC before he realizes she's trans. This is a debut feature so Lessovitz is eligible for the Camera D'Or. It's also a historic first for the festival.
Papicha, Mounia Meddour (France)
A drama set in 1990s Algeria in which a young student tries to organize a fashion show in the midst of an oppressive Islamic state. This is a debut feature so Meddour is eligible for the Camera d'Or.
Adam, Maryam Touzani (Morocco)
Yet another debut feature, so it's eligible for the Camera d'Or. Lots of debuting female directors at Cannes this year!
Zhuo Ren Mi Mi, Midi Z (Taiwan)
This feature is also known as Nina Wu. It's about a girl who leaves the country to pursue her dreams of being an actress in the big city. Wu Ke-Xi has the lead role.
Liberte, Albert Serra
Serra, a Catalan filmmaker best known for The Death of Louis XIV (2016), has been fairly prolific these past ten years.
Bull, Annie Silverstein (US)
This Austin based director has been making shorts and documentaries for the past ten years but this is her narrative feature debut so it's eligible for the Camera d'Or. This is the story of a "wayward teen" and an aging bullfighter in Houston. Rob Morgan (who was so good in Mudbound) is in the cast.
Summer of Changsha, Zu Feng (Hong Kong)
No word on the plot yet but this is from actor turned director Zu Feng (best known for Beginning of the Great Revival in 2011). It's eligible for the Camera d'Or but apparently there are concerns that the Chinese authorities are cracking down on the cultural sector lately so there is at least a bit of doubt about various Chinese films making the festival.
EVGE, Nariman Aliev (Ukraine)
A debut feature (eligible for the Camera d'Or) about a father and son transporting the body of a family member from Kyiv to Crimea for burial.
And that's the Un Certain Regard Lineup for now. Nadine Labaki (Capernaum) will be presiding over this jury but it's worth noting that the Camera d'Or jury is a different jury altogether since other programs also have debut films so they're looking at the 8 debuts within Un Certain Regard and all the other debut features, too.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Share, Pippa Bianco
This Sundance hit was developed by A24 but it's premiering on HBO later this year.
Family Romance LLC, Werner Herzog
A documentary on the firm that offers loved ones for hire.
Tommaso, Abel Ferrara
To Be Alive and Know It, Alain Cavalier
A documentary tribute to Emmanuèle Bernheim.
For Sama, Waad Al Kateab and Edward Watts (UK)
This won the documentary prize at SXSW this year. It's about a woman in Syria over five years time.
MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
Seems strange to have only announced one film in this category.
The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, Lee Won-Tae (South Korea)This one is about a gang boss, a reluctant cop, and the serial killer they're trying to catch.