Romania at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival
This year as well Romania is represented at the famous Cannes Film Festival.
Bogdan Matei, 15.05.2024, 13:50
Over May 14-25, the French city of Cannes has once again become the center of world cinema, expert film critics say. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, throughout the 12 days of the festival, over 35,000 people from 160 countries are expected to watch films screened both within and outside the competition. The opening ceremony was devoted to the great American actress Meryl Streep, rewarded with the Palme d’Or award for her stellar career. At the end of the festival, American director George Lucas, the creator of the sci-fi series Star Wars, is also expected to receive an honorary Palme d’Or. The official competition kicks off today. 22 films are competing for the grand trophy, the Palme d’Or. Another 18 are selected in the “Un Certain Regard” competition devoted to young filmmakers, eight of which mark their debut films.
According to a release of the Romanian Cultural Institute, the feature film “Three Kilometers to the End of the World”, directed by Emanuel Pârvu, will have its world premiere in the official Cannes competition on Friday, May 17. The film tells the story of Adi, a 17-year-old teenager from a village in the Danube Delta (southeast), who’s sent to study in Tulcea, at a great financial cost for his parents. Coming home for the summer holiday, Adi spends a good time with his family and his best friend, Ilinca. When the family is violently confronted with a truth they can neither understand nor accept, the unconditional love Adi should receive from his parents suddenly disappears. The film stars Bogdan Dumitrache, Laura Vasiliu, Ciprian Chiujdea, Ingrid Micu-Berescu and Valeriu Andriuţă in the main roles. The script was written by Emanuel Pârvu and Miruna Berescu. The documentary feature film “Nasty” directed by Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu and Tudor Giurgiu, will be screened in the “Special Screenings” section of the official festival program, on May 23. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session, in the presence of the three directors. The film offers a captivating foray into the life of the legendary Romanian athlete Ilie Năstase, who dominated world tennis in the 1970s. In addition to pure talent, he left his mark through an electrifying play style, whereas his eccentric personality and volcanic, often controversial temperament shot him to fame. A showman par excellence, Năstase revolutionized the world of tennis with the self-confidence of a genuine rockstar. For the first time, this year the Festival will include the “Cannes XR – Immersive” section. Only 8 projects from around the world have been selected, one of which is a Romanian production- “Human Violins: Prelude”, a film directed and produced by Ioana Mischie. (VP)