What to look out for at the Cannes Film Festival

The glitz and glamour of the Cannes film festival returns to the French Riviera next Tuesday. Here is AFP’s selection of the issues, stars and films likely to dominate on and off the red carpet during the May 13-24 extravaganza: He’s never been a mainstay of the festival and hasn’t made a film in three years, but French cinema legend Gerard Depardieu is likely to be one of the biggest talking points on Day 1 of the festival — for all the wrong reasons.

A judge is Paris is set to hand down a verdict in the first of two criminal trials involving the “Cyrano de Bergerac” star over sexual assault allegations. The problem of violence in the film industry was the subject of a highly critical parliamentary inquiry into the industry that published its findings last month.

As for almost every public event nowadays, from elections to art exhibitions, it’s hard to miss the outsized shadow of Donald Trump as he cranks up his “Make America Great Again” revolution. The cinema industry is still reeling from Trump’s weekend announcement of 100-per cent tariffs on foreign-made films, casting uncertainty over the future of overseas productions.

Will the big American stars at the festival dare to speak out? And will European filmmakers demand the same protections from US-made films which still dominate the box office in many countries? Tom Cruise, who will attend the premiere of the last installment of “Mission: Impossible”, and Robert De Niro, who will receive an honorary Palme d’Or, will be two of the biggest Hollywood stars in town.

Cruise has made a point of avoiding politics throughout his career, while De Niro struggles to find words harsh enough to describe Trump who he has branded “evil”, and a “dog” in the past. Other American actors in attendance include Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel Washington, Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence, while Jeremy Strong and Halle Berry are on the jury.

As well as appearing in Wes Anderson’s latest film “The Phoenician Scheme”, Scarlett Johansson is set to present her directorial debut “Eleanor the Great” in the secondary Un Certain Regard competition. She will be up against fellow American actress-turned-director Kristen Stewart who will also showcase her first film behind the camera, “The Chronology of Water”, in the same category.

Dickinson, 28, who recently appeared as Nicole Kidman’s lover in “Babygirl”, completes a trio of stars-turned-directors at Cannes with his film “Urchin”.

A day after Cannes announced that a documentary about Gaza photojournalist Fatima Hassouna was set to be screened at the parallel ACID festival, her home was bombed by the Israeli army, killing her and 10 relatives. The outrage over her death has increased interest in the film, “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk” by Iranian director Sepideh Farsi, which reveals Hassouna as a luminous but increasingly fraught figure. Palestinian twins Tarzan and Arab Nasser will showcase their latest film “Once Upon a Time In Gaza”, a tale of murder and friendship set in the war-torn territory, in the Un Certain Regard section.

More than 20 films are competing for the coveted Palme d’Or for best film in a selection that includes some Cannes stalwarts as well as a new generation of directors.

erennial favourites Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, who have two Palme d’Ors already, return with their latest film “Young Mothers” about five young women in a maternity home in their native Belgium.

Motherhood looks set to be a recurring theme in Cannes, while the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s is the backdrop for two in-competition films, “Alpha” by Julia Ducournau and “Romeria” by Carla Simon. British actor Josh O’Connor will head up the red carpet in two contenders, “The History of Sound” by South Africa’s Oliver Hermanus and “The Mastermind” by Kelly Reichardt.

Two Iranian films, “A Simple Accident” by Jafar Panahi and “Mother and Child” by Saeed Roustaee, will also be closely scrutinised — in Cannes and by Iran’s censors. Both filmmakers have faced legal problems and prison terms over their past work.

Agence France-Presse