The past seven days of behind-the-scenes drama at Cannes? Absolutely wild. There’s really no other way to put it—and honestly, I’m loving every single minute.
Right now, there are 19 films officially in competition, with just enough wiggle room for two, maybe three more to sneak in. That’s the limit. What’s especially jaw-dropping? Only three French filmmakers are in the lineup so far—something that, as far as I can tell, has never happened in the modern Cannes era. Très bizarre.
First up: Lynne Ramsay’s “Die, My Love” just screened for Cannes, and word on the Croisette is—they loved it. Two separate sources tell me the film, starring none other than Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence, is now officially locked for competition. Buckle up.
Then there's Bi Gan—Chinese cinema’s resident madman—who somehow managed to shoot and edit “Resurrection” simultaneously. Production literally just wrapped a week ago, and yet the film has already been submitted. The Cannes selection committee is expected to screen it this weekend. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine they’ll turn it down… but the big question remains: will it land in the main competition or be shunted off to a sidebar section?
Now, “Yes!” by Nadav Lapid is a whole different story. Let’s just say the situation is… delicate. The film runs 3.5 hours (!!!), and while Cannes has politely asked Lapid to trim it down. No decision has been made yet. I’m told the film was well received, but for now, its status is floating in limbo. A verdict is expected soon.
And finally, if there’s one title that might end up scratched from the list, it’s Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother.” He’s been a Cannes regular for over a decade, practically part of the furniture—but this time? I don’t think he’s gonna make the cut. Just a hunch (and I’ve already covered the behind-the-scenes reasons), but all signs are pointing to a potential fall festival premiere instead.
As for any other potential contenders, the silence is... spooky. We’re hearing nothing—nada—about Hylmur Palmason’s “The Love That Remains,” Arnaud Desplechin’s “Une Affaire,” Ildikó Enyedi’s “Silent Friend,” Alice Winocour’s “Stitches,” Saeed Roustaee’s “Mother and Son,” Markus Schleinzer’s “Rose,” Karim Aïnouz‘s “Rosebush Pruning,” and Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex.”
All of these films were indeed submitted to Cannes—and could still appear somewhere in the lineup—but for now? It’s total radio silence.