Cannes Film Festival preview: All 19 films vying for the Palme d’Or
The lineup for the 76th installment of the Cannes Film Festival has finally been announced. Nineteen films will be competing to take home the prestigious Palme d’Or, including a record six films helmed by women. The festival will be taking place in the French Riviera from May 16 to May 27. This year’s jury will be headed by Ruben Östlund, who won his second Palme d’Or last year for “Triangle of Sadness.”
Knowing a filmmaker’s previous track record at Cannes can sometimes help give an idea as to who might be in the best position to claim the Palme. For instance, five of this year’s entries come from directors who have previously won the Palme. Another five are from auteurs who have had previous films win a prize in the main competition other than the Palme. Another five are from directors having their first film screen in the main competition.
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Below is a breakdown of all 19 films that are in the main competition and the history that each director has had at the festival. Read on for our Cannes Film Festival preview 2023.
Jessica Hausner (“Club Zero”)
The Austrian filmmaker returns to the Croissette for a fifth time with this drama about a teacher (Mia Wasikowska) who takes a job at a prestigious school and forms a bond with several students that takes an alarming turn. Hausner’s first three films at Cannes all played in the Un Certain Regard section: “Lovely Rita” (2001), “Hotel” (2004) and “Amour fou” (2014). Her first film in the main competition was “Little Joe” in 2019 which claimed the Best Actress prize for Emily Beecham.
Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”)
This marks the first film from the English director to screen at Cannes. Based on the novel by Martin Amis, it centers on a Nazi officer who finds himself falling in love with the wife of the commander of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Aki Kaurismäki (“Fallen Leaves”)
The latest from the Finnish director known for his minimalist style is about two lonely people in Helsinki who meet each other by a random chance. In 2002, “The Man Without a Past” took home both the Grand Prix and the Best Actress prize for Kati Outinen. He’s also had three other films play in the main competition but not win a prize: “Drifting Clouds” (1996), “Lights in the Dusk” (2006) and “Le Havre” (2011). A collection of vignettes he participated in, “Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet,” along with Kaige Chen, Victor Erice, Werner Herzog, Jim Jarmusch, Spike Lee and Wim Wenders, played in Un Certain Regard.
Kaouther Ben Hania (“Four Daughters”)
The details of the Tunisian director’s latest are a bit tough to nail down. Several reports say the film is a documentary about a mother who discovers that two of her four daughters have suddenly gone missing, but other reports are stating that actress Hend Sabry is starring in it. Hania was first at Cannes in 2017 when “Beauty and the Dogs” played in the Un Certain Regard section.
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Wes Anderson (“Asteroid City”)
One of two American directors in this year’s lineup, this project from the whimsical filmmaker is about a convention of “Junior Stargazers” that is interrupted by a world-altering event. The impressive ensemble includes Tom Hanks, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton and Scarlett Johansson. This will be his third film in the main competition after “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012) and “The French Dispatch” (2021).
Justine Triet (“Anatomie d’Une Chute”)
This film centers on a woman who becomes the main suspect in the murder of her husband and her blind son who faces a moral conundrum in being the only witness to the crime. This is the French director’s second appearance in the main competition after making her first appearance in 2019 for “Sybil.”
Hirokazu Kore-eda (“Monster”)
The plot of the Japanese director’s latest project is still being kept under wraps. Kore-eda has had an incredible history at Cannes. He first competed in the main competition in 2001 with “Distance.” He returned in 2004 with “Nobody Knows” which claimed Best Actor for Yûya Yagira and in 2013 he won the Jury Prize for “Like Father, Like Son.” He competed again in 2015 with “Our Little Sister” and then won the Palme d’Or in 2018 for “Shoplifters.” He was at Cannes last year with “Broker” which won Best Actor for Song Kang-ho. He’s also competed twice in Un Certain Regard: “Air Doll” (2009) and “After the Storm” (2016).
Nanni Moretti (“The Sun of the Future”)
The film explores the circus world of Rome between the 1950s and the 1970s and stars Mathieu Amalric. This is Moretti’s ninth film to compete in the main competition. He was first here in 1978 for “Ecco Bombo” and then in 1994 with “Dear Diary” which won Best Director. He returned in 1998 with “Aprile” and then claimed the Palme in 2001 for “The Son’s Room.” Since then he’s had four other films in the main competition: “The Caiman” (2006), “We Have a Pope” (2011), “Mia Madre” (2015) and “Three Floors” (2021).
Alice Rohrwacher (“La Chimera”)
Coming off of her Oscar-nominated short film “Le Pupille,” the latest from the Italian director centers on a group of archaeologists dealing historic artifacts on the black market and stars Isabella Rossellini and Emmy winner Josh O’Connor. Rohrwacher has been in the main competition twice before and each time has claimed a prize. “The Wonders” won the Grand Prix in 2014 and “Happy as Lazzaro” won Best Screenplay in 2018. She’s also been in the Director’s Fortnight twice: “Heavenly Body” (2011) and “Futura,” (2021) a collective film made along with Pietro Marcello and Francesco Munzi).
Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“About Dry Grasses”)
A young teacher finds himself losing all hope as he years for a promotion after being forced to teach in a small village. The Turkish director is a longtime favorite at Cannes. He was first there in 1995 with the short film “Cocoon.” His first feature in competition was “Distant” in 2003 which won the Grand Prix along with Best Actor for Muzaffer Özdemir and Mehmet Emin Toprak. In 2006 he competed with “Climates” and in 2008 won Best Director for “Three Monkeys.” He claimed a second Grand Prix in 2011 for “Once Upon a Time in Anatolia” (tying with “The Kid with a Bike” from the Dardenne brothers). He finally claimed the Palme d’Or in 2014 for “Winter Sleep” and returned in 2018 with “The Wild Pear Tree.”
Catherine Breillat (“L’Ete Dernier”)
An accomplished lawyer puts her professional and personal life in jeopardy when she engages in an affair with her husband’s son from a previous marriage. The French director was first at Cannes in 2002 when “Sex is Comedy” screened in the Director’s Fortnight. She made her only appearance in the main competition in 2007 for “The Last Mistress.”
Tran Anh Hung (“The Passion of Dodin Bouffant”)
The romantic-drama from the Vietnamese-French director is about a celebrated cook and the gourmet she has been working at for over 20 years and stars Juliette Binoche. This marks the first time Hung will be in the main competition. “The Scent of Green Papaya,” competed in Un Certain Regard and won the Camera d’Or for best debut feature in 1993 and returned in 2000 in the same section with “The Vertical Ray of the Sun.”
Marco Bellochio (“Rapito”)
A Jewish boy in the 1850s is kidnapped and forced to convert to Catholicism in the Italian filmmaker’s latest. Despite this being his eighth film to be in the main competition, Bellochio has yet to win a prize for himself. His first time at Cannes was in 1980 with “A Leap in the Dark” which won both the Best Actor and Actress prize for Michel Piccoli and Anouk Aimée, respectively. Since then he’s competed with “Henry IV” (1984), “The Prince of Homberg” (1997), “The Nanny” (1999), “My Mother’s Smile” (2002), “Vincere” (2009) and “The Traitor” (2019). He was also in Un Certain Regard in 2006 with “The Wedding Director.”
Todd Haynes (“May December”)
The American director’s latest is about how decades after a married couple’s large age difference garnered huge tabloid attention, the wife (Julianne Moore) reluctantly allows an actress who’s about to play her (Natalie Portman) to do research and get to know her. Haynes first competed at Cannes in 1998 with “Velvet Goldmine” and the jury gave him a special award for Best Artistic Contribution. He wouldn’t be back until 2015 with “Carol” which took Best Actress for Rooney Mara and then again in 2017 for “Wonderstruck.”
Karim Aïnouz (“Firebrand”)
This movie chronicles the marriage between King Henry VIII (Jude Law) and Queen Catherine Parr (Alicia Vikander) and also stars Eddie Marsan. This marks the first time the Brazilian filmmaker is competing in the main competition. He was first at Cannes in Un Certain Regard in 2002 for “Madame Satã” and then in the Director’s Fortnight in 2011 for “The Silver Cliff.” In 2019, he returned to Un Certain Regard with “Invisible Life,” which claimed the top prize for that section.
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Ken Loach (“The Old Oak”)
The English director’s 15th film to play in the main competition is about the last remaining pub in a Northeastern English mining village, which starts to see a large amount of Syrian refugees moving in. Loach was first at Cannes in 1981 with “Looks and Smiles.” His next two films would both win the Jury Prize: “Hidden Agenda” (1990) and “Raining Stones” (1993). He was back in 1995 with “Land and Freedom” and again in 1998 for “My Name is Joe,” which won Best Actor for Peter Mullan. “Bread and Roses” screened in 2000 and “Sweet Sixteen” won Best Screenplay for Paul Laverty in 2002. He won his first Palme in 2006 for “The Wind That Shakes the Barley.” He next competed in 2009 with “Looking for Eric” and in 2010 for “Route Irish.” In 2012 he won his third Jury Prize with “The Angel’s Share” and competed again in 2014 with “Jimmy’s Hall.” He won his second Palme in 2016 with “I, Daniel Blake” and was last in competition in 2019 with “Sorry We Missed You.”
Ramata-Toulaye Sy (“Banel & Adama”)
The debut feature from the Senegalese-French filmmaker centers on a young Senegalese couple that has to deal with the disapproval that their secluded village has toward them.
Wim Wenders (“Perfect Days”)
This film stars Koji Yakusho as a toilet cleaner for Japan’s infamous public restrooms. Another Wenders film, “Anselm (Das Rauschen der zeit),” will have a special screening. The German filmmaker’s history at Cannes dates back to 1976 when “Kings of the Road” played in competition, followed by “The American Friend” in 1977 and “Hammett” in 1982. He was awarded the Palme d’Or in 1984 for “Paris, Texas.” In 1987 he won Best Director for “Wings of Desire” and then won the Grand Prix in 1993 for “Faraway, So Close!” He had “The End of Violence” screen there in 1997 and was part of the vignette film “Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet” which was screened in Un Certain Regard. He was back in the main competition in 2005 for “Don’t Come Knocking” and in 2008 for “Palermo Shooting.” In 2014, “The Salt of the Earth” won a Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section.
Wang Bing (“Jeunesse”)
The latest from the Chinese documentary filmmaker examines young people in China. Bing has another film at Cannes this year, “Man in Black,” which is getting a special screening. It’s his first time in the main competition. In 2007 he directed a short film in the anthology, “O Estado do Mundo,” along with Ayisha Abraham, Chantal Akerman, Pedro Costa, Vicente Ferraz and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, which was in the Director’s Fortnight.
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