Most recently, Wim Wenders won the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 1984 for “Paris, Texas”. With “Perfect Days” the 77-year-old has again made it into the competition of the famous French film festival this year, as its director Thierry Frémaux announced on Thursday. The film was shot in Japan – Frémaux did not reveal more about the film. In the sub-series “Séances spéciales” Wenders will also present “The Noise of Time”, a portrait of the German artist Anselm Kiefer.
Among the films competing for the Palme d’Or at the festival, which runs from 16 to 27 May, is “Club Zero” by Austrian Jessica Hausner. The film is about schoolchildren who radically reduce their diet in protest against a society based on achievement and success. The 50-year-old was invited to the main competition in 2019 with “Little Joe – Luck is a Business”. As Frémaux further announced, the list is not yet complete.
Nanni Moretti and Wes Anderson
Strong competition comes from Italy and America. Nanni Moretti entered the main competition with “Il sol dell’avvenire” (roughly: The sun of the future). The film is said to be set between the 1950s and 1970s and set in the world of circus and cinema. Moretti, 69, is a regular at Cannes. He won the Palme d’Or in 2001 with “My Son’s Room”.
With “Asteroid City” the American director Wes Anderson can hope for the coveted trophy. The film is set to take place in a fictional American desert town in 1955, where students and parents from across the country come together for science competitions. The 53-year-old made an international name for himself with films such as “Grand Budapest Hotel”, “Isle of Dogs – Atari’s Journey” and “Moonrise Kingdom”.
Ken Loach and Hirokazu Kore-eda
Also competing for the Palme d’Or is Ken Loach’s The Old Oak, a film about a pub that is threatened with closure after the arrival of Syrian refugees without prior notice in the village. Japan’s star director Hirokazu Kore-eda (“Shoplifters”, “Broker”) enters the competition with “Monster”. The story revolves around a dispute between children at school that takes on unexpected proportions.
Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio
Numerous stars are expected again this year, such as US actors Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio. Depp plays in the historical film “Jeanne du Barry”. The drama by French actress and director Maïwenn tells the story of Marie-Jeanne Bécu (1743-1793), a mistress of the French King Louis XV. Depp embodies the king, Maïwenn himself plays Bécu. The film runs out of competition and opens the festival.
DiCaprio can be seen in “Killers of the Flower Moon”. The film by US director Martin Scorsese is also out of competition. The Apple-produced film is based on a book by American journalist D. Grann and tells of a series of murders of an indigenous people in Oklahoma in the 1920s.
The German Iris Knobloch, who is the first female president in the history of the festival, was also present at the press conference. The 60-year-old replaced Pierre Lescure on July 1 last year.
