The Zone of Interest – Grand Prix la Cannes 2023

After a decade-long hiatus, British director Jonathan Glazer once again made waves at the Cannes Film Festival, captivating both critics and audiences. The Zone of Interest received the Grand Jury Prize and the International Critics’ Prize (FIPRESCI). The term Zone of Interest refers to the coded language the Nazis used to discuss Auschwitz. It is also the title of a novel by Martin Amis, published in 2015, which Jonathan Glazer adapted for this film. Commander Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) strive to build a dream life for their family in a house with a garden, adjacent to the Auschwitz camp.

Four Daughters (Les Filles d’Olfa) – Best Documentary, Cannes 2023

Olfa is a woman from Tunisia, a mother of four daughters. She loses her two eldest daughters forever. In 2016, she becomes famous after criticizing the Tunisian government for not doing anything to prevent her daughters from joining ISIS. In her private life, she seeks her own fault. The director was fascinated by Olfa’s story and began filming in 2016, which over time evolved into a therapeutic laboratory where memories are recaptured through reenactment. Director Kaouther Ben Hania invited professional actresses to play the roles of the lost daughters, creating a unique cinematic experience, a powerful hybrid documentary. The idea of using actresses to portray the daughters helped the director confront Olfa with reality and assisted her in not playing a role herself. The result is an intimate journey about hope, rebellion, violence, transgenerational trauma, femininity, family, and love, challenging the very foundations of our societies.

Youth – Documentary – In Competition, Cannes 2023

Zhili, 150 km from Shanghai. In this city dedicated to textile manufacturing, young workers come from all the rural regions crossed by the Yangtze River. They are in their early twenties, share dormitories and snack in the corridors. They work tirelessly to be able one day to raise a child, buy a house or set up their own workshop. Between them, friendships and love affairs are made and unmade according to the seasons, bankruptcies and family pressures. Wang Bing is a documentary filmmaker and video artist. The creator of the 9-hour documentary West on the Tracks, depicting the decline of a vast industrial area in northeastern China, considered a masterpiece. In 2014, he had a significant exhibition at the Centre Pompidou (Paris), showcasing his films, installations, and photographs. In 2017, he received the Golden Leopard at Locarno for Mrs. Fang, and Dead Souls (2018) was in the official selection at Cannes.

Only the River Flows – In Competition, Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2023

It’s the 1990s, and in the rural Chinese town of Banpo, a woman’s body is found by the river. Ma Zhe, Chief of the Criminal Police, heads up the murder investigation that quickly leads to an obvious arrest. As his superiors are keen to communicate their success, several clues push Ma Zhe to delve deeper into the hidden behaviour of his fellow citizens. Wei Shujun is a young Chinese director, making his third appearance at Cannes. He was initially awarded for his first short film, “On the Border,” and his first feature film, “Striding into the Wind,” was part of the official selection. Only the River Flows is a Twin Peaks.

Club Zero – In Competition, Cannes 2023

Miss Novak joins the staff of an international boarding school to teach a conscious eating class. She instructs that eating less is healthy. The other teachers are slow to notice what is happening and by the time the distracted parents begin to realise, Club Zero has become a reality. Inspired by the director’s experience at a Catholic boarding school in the 1980s, where eating little was considered a great virtue, Club Zero discusses how most parents delegate the responsibility of raising their children to others and addresses their greatest fear: the fear of losing them altogether. Austrian director Jessica Hausner has been a festival darling since her debut film, Lovely Rita (2001). Little Joe (2019), her first English-language feature, earned lead actress Emily Beecham the Best Actress award. Club Zero is the director’s sixth film. 

Close Your Eyes – Cannes Premiere 2023

Victor Erice is one of those directors who achieved greatness with their first film The Spirit of the Beehive, in 1972. His return this year with a fourth feature film, Close Your Eyes, is a significant event. Miguel Garay (Manolo Solo) is a director working on the film The Farewell Gaze, but the protagonist and his friend, Julio Arenas (José Coronado), disappears from the film set and he is never found. Miguel withdraws for the rest of his life to a small coastal town. That is until a television show investigating unsolved mysteries brings him back to this story, along with the daughter of his friend, Ana (Ana Torrent). A film within a film, exploring themes of identity and memory.

Housekeeping for Beginners – Queer Lion la Veneția 2023

A powerful debut film, You Won’t Be Alone (2022, Sundance), was all it took for Macedonian Australian director Goran Stolevski to become a recognized name. This year, he returns with an unconventional family story that explores the universal truths of the concept of family — both the ones we are born into and the ones we discover for ourselves. The film features two Romanian actresses, Anamaria Marinca and Alina Șerban. The house of Dita (Anamaria Marinca), is always filled with friends, including Suada’s two daughters, Mia, and the rebellious teenager Vanessa, as well as Toni, her friend’s lovers. Dita never wanted to become a mother, but when Suada falls ill, Dita must promise to continue raising her girls, even if it means getting married to a man. A struggle of ambitions begins, and the three of them unexpectedly form a family that must fight to stay together. A humor-infused drama that leaves you with a joyful heart.

Le Ravissement – Prix SACD, Semaine de la Critique, Cannes 2023

Lydia is a dedicated nurse on the brink of romantic disappointment. At that very moment, her best friend Salomé informs her of her pregnancy and requests Lydia to monitor her condition. Months later, one day, Lydia is holding her friend’s baby when she encounters Milos again. A lie later, Lydia finds herself in a whirlwind that will impact all their lives forever. The 35-year-old director Iris Kaltenbäck’s feature film debut is a powerful and controlled one, a straightforward drama about the need for connection and the desperation of loneliness. Narrated by one of the characters, the story allows room for the protagonist, portrayed by Hafsia Herzi, known for her role in La graine et le mulet (Abdellatif Kechiche, 2007), for which she won the Young Hopeful Award at Venice, to work her magic in a mature and subtle role.

Hounds/Les Meutes – Prix du Jury, Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2023

Awarded this year in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes with the Jury Prize and shot in Casablanca with non-professional actors, Hounds marks the feature film debut of director Kamal Lazraq, building on the atmosphere of his critically acclaimed short film, The Man With a Dog. The respect for the paternal figure does not allow his decisions to be contested in Moroccan society. When Hassan realizes he lacks the funds to buy meat for his family, he is forced to accept a job from an organized crime group. Issan will follow his father, even if it means they must together kidnap someone from the criminal underworld. Hounds vividly portrays the nightmarish night that unfolds as father and son find themselves caught up in a precipitous chain of events.

The Peasants – Poland’s Submission for Oscar 2023

The Peasants is an oil-painted animation that tells the story of young Jagna, a young woman determined to forge her own path within the confines of a late 19th century Polish village – a hotbed of gossip and on-going feuds, held together, rich and poor, by pride in their land, adherence to colourful traditions and a deep-rooted patriarchy. When Jagna finds herself caught between the conflicting desires of the village’s richest farmer, his eldest son and other leading men of the community, her resistance puts her on a tragic collision course with the community around her. Created by the team behind Loving Vincent, DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman, The Peasants is Poland’s submission for the Oscars.

 The Zone of Interest and Four Daughters are distributed in Romania by Bad Unicorn. Only the River Flows is distributed in Romania by Voodoo Films. Club Zero is distributed in Romania by Independența Film. The Peasants is distributed in Romania by FollowArt Distribution.