Another day at Cannes for UniFrance and French cinema, marked by a special screening of Visages, Villages (Faces, Places) by Agnès Varda and JR.
Everyone stand up for Agnès!
The most striking image of the day was undoubtedly that of the impressive standing ovation—lasting for over twenty minutes—that followed the screening of Faces, Places (Faces, Places). Presented out of competition at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the film by Agnès Varda and JR is a "road documentary" in which the filmmakers went out to meet with people across France, photographing them and exhibiting the photos on the spot during their travels. The screening sparked a great outpouring of emotion in audiences at Cannes, with the celebrated filmmaker Varda visibly moved by the response.
First screening of the new film by the Nakache/Toledano duo
At the Film Market, the latest film by the Nakache-Toledano tandem, C'est la vie!, received an equally enthusiastic welcome from French exhibitors and foreign distributors. The film's French release is scheduled for October 4, 2017, prior to its distribution in markets abroad throughout 2018 (it has been acquired in 14 countries to date).
The "Animated Films: La French Touch" cocktail reception
For UniFrance, one of the highlights of the day was the presence of Laurent Valière, author of the superb book Cinéma d'animation - La French Touch (published by La Martinière). This book offers an overview of the past twenty years of French animated films, starting with the global triumph of Kirikou and the subsequent gradual development of a strong and viable industry of auteur independent animated films in France.
