The Cannes Film Festival, the premium showcase for world cinema in general and for French cinema in particular, is just wrapping up on La Croisette. Here is a rundown of nine French films that premiered in various programs at this year’s festival.
The Great Arch (L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche)
Directed by Stéphane Demoustier, 104 minutes. Playing in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival.
Adapted from Laurence Cosse’s eponymous book, writer/director Stéphane Demoustier’s compelling drama recounts the experiences of Johan Otto von Spreckelsen (Claes Bang), a Danish architecture teacher, who unexpectedly won François Mitterrand’s (Michel Fau) open call submission to design the Great Arch of La Défense in Paris. As he works with Jean-Louis Subilon (Xavier Dolan), a Mitterand bureaucrat, and architect Paul Andreu (Swann Arlaud), who becomes his project manager, Otto comes into conflict in his effort to realize “his life’s work”—the Cube. There are debates about building materials from bonded glass, which is forbidden by law, and the slipperiness of the Carrara marble Otto insists they use, and money also becomes a heated issue. But Otto’s refusal to compromise, along with his integrity—which others see as his arrogance—makes this story crackle. Bang’s performance captures his hope and despair as Otto faces numerous efforts, both personal and political, to derail him and his vision. The Great Arch can be a bit talky, but it is exciting to see how the project comes together. If the film is sympathetic towards the Dane, it also artfully shows how he was instrumental in crafting one of France’s modern architectural icons.
Météors
Directed by Hubert Charuel, 109 minutes. Playing in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival.
This absorbing character study chronicles the lives of two friends, Mickaël aka Mika (Paul Kircher from Winter’s Boy) and Daniel (Idir Azougli) in Upper Marne, France. Aimless and un- or under-employed, the youths dream of going to Réunion Island. But their plans are dashed when they get into legal trouble after Daniel steals a prized cat and Mika is cited for a DUI. With six months to prove themselves before sentencing, Mika resolves to give up drugs and drinking, but Daniel, who is diagnosed with a health issue, struggles to stay sober. They both go to work for their friend Tony (Salif Cissé) who manages construction at a nuclear waste dump. While Mika is skeptical of this risky business, Daniel is reckless. Director/co-writer Hubert Charuel’s film provides gritty realism as these struggling but sympathetic characters evolve and mature. As Mika and Daniel both try to save each other, what becomes clear is that they really need to save themselves. It is quite affecting to see Mika tearfully expressing his concerns about Daniel when they have a verbal fight. Charuel peppers his drama with arresting images—especially around the jobs sites—that visually convey how lost and isolated these characters are. Météors captures the despondency of these inchoate young men who need help. Kircher delivers a very internal performance that expresses the mental and emotional pain he feels, while Azougli is as amusing as he is annoying in the role of the irresponsible Daniel.
Love Letters (Des preuves d’amour)
Directed by Alice Douard, 97 minutes. Playing in the Semaine Internationale de la Critique (International Critics’ Week) festival sidebar.
Set in 2014, after same-sex marriage became legal in France, the film concerns Céline (Ella Rumpf) and Nadia (Monia Chokri), who are having a baby together. Nadia is pregnant, but the film shrewdly focuses on Céline’s experiences as she needs to “adopt” their child—a legal process that will take 8-18 months. One of the requirements is for Céline to secure letters of support. While the couple’s friends provide insights about parenthood—and Céline gets some hands-on experience babysitting in one awkward, funny, and realistic sequence—Love Letters also depicts Céline’s complicated relationship with her mother, Marguerite (Noémie Lvovsky), a famous pianist who she feels wasn’t there for her when she was a child. The tensions between mother and daughter form the emotional core of this poignant film that considers how parents must be present for their children. As Céline and Nadia each grapple with their hopes and fears of impending motherhood, Love Letters nicely captures the overwhelming anxieties every parent faces. The strength of Douard’s film is that it does so with sensitivity, humor, and grace. Rumpf is terrific as Céline, as she navigates the emotional ups and downs on the way to motherhood.
Dandelion’s Odyssey (Planètes)
Directed by Momoko Seto, 75 minutes. Playing in the Semaine Internationale de la Critique (International Critics’ Week) festival sidebar.
This visually dazzling and wordless animated French/Belgian coproduction—the debut feature by Momoko Seto—uses “nature stop motion” to tell its story of four dandelion achenes that float through space and land on an unknown planet following a nuclear explosion that destroys Earth. Seto inventively uses time-lapse and hyper slow motion (along with various other cinematic techniques) to render visible the natural world. The details of the dandelion seeds as well as the various flora and fauna they encounter are remarkable. Seto also employs driving music to convey movement and emotion as the achenes experience their journey; the seeds communicate via noises, and “group hug” where they rub their leaves together. Sound is also deftly used, especially in one segment as a seed is inhaled (and exhaled), or when the dandelions hop from leaf to leaf on a plant. As the four “friends” travel through various landscapes, including an icy environment where one hitches a ride on a frog, they ride rapids, roam through a menacing forest of threatening insects and mushrooms, and ultimately help each other survive. The film’s vibrant colors and animated “gestures” drive home its salient ecological messages about destruction, resilience, and rebirth. Dandelion’s Odyssey is episodic, but its unique deep dive into the natural world will be appreciated by children and adults alike.
The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol (Marcel at Monsieur Pagnol)
Directed by Sylvain Chomet, 90 minutes. Official Selection—Special Screening.
This gorgeous looking animated film examines the life and career of the legendary French writer and director Marcel Pagnol. Asked to pen an ELLE magazine article about his life, the adult Pagnol (voiced by Laurent Lafitte) is inspired by his younger self, “Little Marcel,” who helps him recall his personal and professional triumphs and failures. Directed by Oscar nominee Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Bellevue), The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol covers his experiences in publishing, theater, and film—as he produces classic works, including his Marseilles trilogy: Marius, Fanny, and Cesar. For fans of Pagnol, this is a must-see.
The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol has been acquired for U.S. distribution by Sony Pictures Classics for release in 2025.
Colours of Time (La Venue de L’Avenir)
Directed by Cédric Klapisch, 125 minutes. Playing in the Hors Compétition (Out of Competition) section of the festival.
The latest film by Cédric Klapisch, the esteemed director of When the Cat’s Away, The Spanish Apartment, and Back to Burgundy, is billed as a “comedy thriller.” The film features some of France’s busiest actors—Vincent Perez, Cécile de France, and Vincent Macaigne—in a plot about four cousins discovering their family’s history after they receive an inheritance. Klapisch’s film toggles between 1895 and 2024 with appearances by Sarah Bernhardt (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) and Victor Hugo (François Berléand). It promises to be both intriguing and great fun.
Death Does Not Exist (La Mort N’Existe Pas)
Directed by Félix Dufour-Laperrière, 72 minutes. Playing in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors’ Fortnight) section of the festival.
A Canadian/French coproduction, the visually striking 2D computer-animated film, Death Does Not Exist, has Hélène (voiced by Zeneb Blanchet), an activist, escaping into a forest after she is unable to execute a planned attack. Alone—she deserted her coconspirators—she reflects on her socio-political beliefs and is “haunted” by Manon (voiced by Karelle Tremblay), another activist. In the forest, Hélène experiences a series of impactful transformations. Addressing environmental issues as well as activist allegiances, this film deals with highly topical concerns.
Peak Everything (Amour Apocalypse)
Directed by Anne Émond, 95 minutes. Playing in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors’ Fortnight) section of the festival.
This Canadian romantic comedy focuses on Adam (Patrick Hivon), a “hypersensitive kennel owner,” who buys a solar lamp to cope with his anxiety and depression. However, his life is upended—in a good way—when he reaches out to Tina (Piper Perabo), a customer service rep, and her voice “soothes all of his worries.” Adam soon becomes determined to meet her in person. This unique and charming film, which costars Connor Jessup, Gordon Rand, and Gilles Renaud.
A Useful Ghost (Pee Chai Dai Ka)
Directed by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, 130 Minutes. Playing in the Semaine Internationale de la Critique (International Critics’ Week) festival sidebar.
The Cannes Film Festival is presenting the world premiere of the debut film from director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, a Thailand/France/Singapore/Germany coproduction. This magical realist film has March (Wisarut Himmarat) forced to prove his love for his late wife Nat (Daika Hoorne) to his family after she has come back as a ghost inhabiting a vacuum cleaner. (Ironically, she died from dust pollution.) The director, who counts Jacques Rivette as an influence, is taking a big, ambitious swing here, mixing genres from romance and comedy to horror and sociopolitical commentary.
Gary M. Kramer is a freelance film critic whose work appears in Salon, Cineaste, and Senses of Cinema, among other publications. He is the coeditor of Directory of World Cinema: Argentina, Volumes 1 and 2, and a contributor to Directory of World Cinema: France. He is the moderator of Cinema Salon, a weekly film discussion group, and teaches “Short Attention Span Cinema” at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.
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