From Cannes with Love: Joan Parsons

Attending Cannes Film Festival feels to me a little like a film pilgrimage, a hectic and often frantic adventure for professionals from across the film industry to see films from around the world, conduct business and connect with international contacts. The films screened in the many competitions in Cannes showcase some of the greatest work being produced right now and also can be seen to illustrate industrial and further reaching changes, through the stories in the films, the talent behind and in front of the cameras and the deals being negotiated in the market place.

At this mid-late stage, the competition for the coveted Palme d’Or prize looks fierce with some standout films already screened and with some eagerly anticipated still to come. Despite the profile that a slot in Cannes can afford a film, it is by no means guaranteed to receive UK distribution, or elsewhere for that matter. As I decide which films to endeavour to see I am constantly assessing their audience potential, monitoring any UK sales that may come about and considering how best to present the work for a Belfast audience. In a market where there are often over 15 films released in a single week, prior knowledge of films makes QFT’s programme stronger. After reporting back to the Programme Coordinator I will keep my fingers crossed that my favourites will be able to reach our screens and receive a warm response.

A few of my favourites… so far, that is… without giving too much away…

• Portrait of a Lady on Fire – Céline Sciamma’s latest was probably my most anticipated film this year. When I saw ‘Girlhood’ here in 2014 my fandom reached new heights and it was always going to be a tough film to follow. ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is a period drama that, through Sciamma’s clear vision and direction, delivers a heart-breaking morsel of a story that can only really scratch the surface of untold histories. It creeps up on you and its stunning images are truly entrancing. Her fans will not be disappointed here and she’ll surely reach a much wider audience with this.
• The Lighthouse – Following ‘The Witch’, which frankly petrified me, Robert Eggers has certainly delivered another corker. Less tarrying but no less spooky and daunting, ‘The Lighthouse’ is a stunning two-hander between Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as they keep the light on for a remote and weather ravaged outcrop.
• Atlantics – Mati Diop is the first black female filmmaker ever in competition in Cannes, which is both fantastic and shocking at the same time. Her debut feature is a striking love story, set in Dakar, weaving together themes of desperate migration over the seas, exploitation, expectations and independence. This film was full of surprises for me, never predictable and full of life.