PREVIEW: 2022 JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL

Presented by The Japan Foundation, the 26th edition of the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) will begin its 2022 rollout across Australia, launching in Canberra (5–20 November) before moving to Perth (21–27 November), Brisbane (11–27 November), Melbourne (30 November–4 December) and finishing up in Sydney (7–14 December).

The national season represents a return to the theatrical experience for both the festival organisers and patrons, after two years of committed online programming in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Since 1997, the Sydney-based Japan Foundation has presented contemporary and retrospective Japanese film screenings; in 2022, it will screen in conjunction with cultural partners NFSA, QAGOMA and ACMI via Palace Cinemas.    

Opening the festival this year across all cities is the historical drama Dreaming of the Meridian Arc (大河への道; pictured, right), a rewriting of Japanese history by director Kenji Nakanishi. Set in both present-day Japan and the Edo period, this comedy uncovers the true story behind the man who completed the first ever map of Japan. 

The Japanese sector’s grasp of intense and complex drama can be seen in such programming highlights as Keisuke Yoshida’s Intolerance (空白), an intricate portrayal of the behaviour and psychology of people caught in extreme situations; the moving exploration of the lies and secrets of a girl with a complex family upbringing in Tetsu Maeda’s And So The Baton Is Passed (そして、バトンは渡された; pictured, top); Keisuke Yoshida’s human drama, Blue (ブルー), an examination of the inner lives of boxers; and, Takahisa Zeze’s poignant murder mystery/drama, In the Wake (護られなかった者たちへ), about the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

The festival offers ‘quirky edginess’ with Hūgo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins (ベイビーわるきゅーれ), a Tarantino-esque romp about teen killers learning to cohabitate and adjust to the facade of ‘normal life’; Kōhei Yoshino’s ANIME SUPREMACY! (ハケンアニメ !), a charming slice-of-GenZ-life drama about a production outfits quest to create the next great anime; and, Masaki Tachibana’s coming-of-age animation Blue Thermal (ブルーサーマル), a refreshing college-life story about friends' growing devotion to competitive gliding. 

The line-up turns dark with Kazuya Shiraishi’s psychological thriller Lesson in Murder (死刑にいたる病; pictured, right), the story of a young man upended by a serial killer’s claim. And foodies will not want to miss Toshimichi Saitō’s mouth-watering documentary, The Pursuit of Perfection, following four elite chefs in Tokyo who work tirelessly to perfect their craft. 

A particular highlight for international cinephiles will be the JFF Special Series, a free sidebar of 35mm film screenings celebrating the master filmmaker Mikio Naruse. The four films featured in this program shine a light on Naruse’s poignant observation of the growing tension surrounding familial and societal conformities in a changing, post–war Japan - a theme that pervades the director’s remarkably crafted body of work. The rarely-seen collection includes Sound of the Mountain (山の音; 1954); Floating Clouds (浮雲; 1955), the film considered by many his masterpiece; When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (女が階段を上る時; 1960); and, Yearning (乱れる; 1964). 

Sydney audiences will also be treated to a special post-film presentation at The Chauvel Cinema on Wednesday 14 December, where Dr Mats Karlsson, Senior Lecturer at The University of Sydney, will discuss Floating Clouds in the context of Naruse’s filmography, which included a mammoth 90 films spanning 1930 to 1967.

All ticketing and session details are available at the 2022 Japanese Film Festival OFFICIAL WEBSITE. 

PREVIEW: 2022 PALESTINIAN FILM FESTIVAL

The 2022 Palestinian Film Festival joins the ranks of international film celebrations regaining its live event footing post-COVID. For the first time since 2019, Festival Director Naser Shaktour will tour the country with the eleventh program, a line-up of feature films, documentaries and retrospective screenings that highlight a filmmaking culture both intellectually and creatively at its peak.

Traversing themes of people, place and identity, this year’s Festival will roll out nationally, beginning in Sydney (2-10 Nov), then Melbourne (3-6 Nov), Brisbane (11-13 Nov), Canberra (11-13 Nov), Perth (11-13 Nov), Adelaide (18-20 Nov) and Hobart (18-20 Nov). (Pictured, above; Tara Abboud, in Amira) 

“We’re very proud to present the best of Palestinian cinema. This year’s program focuses on the power of personal storytelling in building individual and collective resilience,” said Shakhtour, Founder and Director of Cultural Media, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of Palestinian art and culture in Australia. “With award-winning films set in Palestine 1948 to present day Palestine, we have curated an engaging and unforgettable program guaranteed to inform and inspire."

Opening Night honours have been bestowed upon Jordanian filmmaker Darin J. Sallam debut feature, Farha. The story of a young girl whose dreams change from seeking education to survival in Palestine 1948, the devastating narrative about loss, dispossession and survival is a poignant and remarkable first feature that became one of the must-see titles of TIFF 2021, where it debuted in the Next Wave strand. (Pictured, right; Karam Taher, in Farha)

Other narrative features in the 2022 program include Amira, a complex thriller about a girl whose identity isn’t what she thought it was, from in-demand Egyptian director Mohamed Diab (one of the creative forces on the Disney+ MCU series, Moon Knight); Gaza Mon Amour, from brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser, a charming romantic drama about an aging fisherman and an ancient statue; and, Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon (Dear Son), a twisting and gripping drama about a Palestinian woman blackmailed into becoming an informant for Israel’s internal security service. The showpiece title of the festival is Maha Haj’s Mediterranean Fever, a darkly comic friendship drama about a depressed man and a small-time crook, which earned the Best Screenplay Award at this year’s Festival du Cannes.

Documentaries to screen at the event include Julia Bacha’s Boycott an incisive look at anti-boycott legislation in the USA that tells the inspiring story of ordinary Americans living in defiance of the shifting political landscape; Fadia’s Tree, Sarah Beddington’s inspiring, tender portrait of a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon (pictured, right); Hummus: A Story of Appropriation, the largely unknown story of the appropriation of Palestine’s treasured culinary staple, from director Lafi Abood; and, Abdallah Al-Khatib’s Little Palestine, A Diary of a Siege, a journey inside the district of Yarmouk, which homed the biggest Palestinian refugee camp in the world.

In a true declaration of the festival’s commitment to Palestinian film culture and history, this year Naser Shaktour and his team will present a 40th anniversary screening of director Kassem Hawal’s Return to Haifa (A'id ila Hayfa). The story is based on a 1969 novel by Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani, who would be assassinated in 1973. Widely regarded as Palestine’s first film, it recounts the journey of Safia (Hanan Al Haj Ali) and Saeed (Paul Mattar), who are forced to leave their baby son when they are expelled in 1948, only to return 20 years later to find their son adopted and enlisted into the Israeli army. All proceeds from the screening of Return to Haifa will be donated to the Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation.

Ticketing and session information for the 2022 Palestinian Film Festival can be found at the event’s Official Website.

1% SATIRE TRIANGLE OF SADNESS TAKES TOP CANNES HONOURS

Proving that the elite of the international film industry are a bit more self-aware than many believe, Ruben Östlund’s scathing satire on wealth and privilege Triangle of Sadness has earned the Palme d’Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

It is the second top honour for the Swedish director; in 2017, The Square wowed judges and audiences alike in its depiction of hubris amongst the wealthy upper class. In Triangle of Sadness, a yacht filled with models, millionaires, sycophants and trophy partners is cast adrift, forcing the survivors to reconstruct a desert-island society where money holds no power and beauty becomes the most valuable asset.  It features American star Woody Harrelson as the captain of the vessel.

Led by actor Vincent Lindon, the 2022 jury spread the love across the In Competition titles, with 10 of the eligible 21 films earning trophies. The included not one but two ties in key categories - Claire Denis’ South American-set drama Stars at Noon, with Margaret Qualley (pictured, right), and Lukas Dhont’s teenage tearjerker Close shared the Grand Prix, while Félix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch’s majestic yet personal drama The Eight Mountains and Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO, in which a donkey experiences the best and worst of European society, both took home the Jury Prize.

Other notable winners were Iranian actress Zar Amir-Ebrahimi for her role as the journalist tracking a brutal serial killer in the festival’s most controversial film, Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider; Gina Gammell and Riley Keough, who shared the Camera d’Or honour for their Native American coming-of-age drama, War Horse; Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s teen drama The Worst Ones, which secured the prestige Un Certain Regard Award; and, the latest from acclaimed director Mia Hansen-Løve, One Fine Morning, who revisits themes of infidelity and desire in One Fine Morning, starring Léa Seydoux.

The full list of winners from the 2022 Cannes Film Festival are:       

COMPETITION
Palme d’Or: “Triangle of Sadness,” Ruben Östlund
Grand Prix — TIE: “Stars at Noon,” Claire Denis AND “Close,” Lukas Dhont
Director: Park Chan-wook, “Decision to Leave”
75th Anniversary Special Award: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, “Tori & Lokita”
Actor: Song Kang-ho, “Broker”
Actress: Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, “Holy Spider” (pictured, right)
Jury Prize — TIE: “The Eight Mountains,” Félix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch AND “EO,” Jerzy Skolimowski
Screenplay: Tarik Saleh, “Boy From Heaven”

OTHER PRIZES
Camera d’Or: “War Horse,” Gina Gammell and Riley Keough
Camera d’Or Special Mention: “Plan 75,” Hayakawa Chie
Short Films Palme d’Or:“The Water Murmurs,” Jianying Chen
Short Films Special Mention:“Lori,” Abinash Bikram Shah
Golden Eye Documentary Prize: “All That Breathes,” Shaunak Sen
Queer Palm: “Joyland”

UN CERTAIN REGARD
Un Certain Regard Award: “The Worst Ones,” Lise Akoka, Romane Gueret
Jury Prize: “Joyland,” Saim Sadiq
Best Director Prize: Alexandru Belc, “Metronom”
Best Performance Prize — TIE: Vicky Krieps, “Corsage” (pictured, right) and Adam Bessa, “Harka”
Best Screenplay Prize: Maha Haj, “Mediterranean Fever”
Coup de Coeur Award: “Rodeo,” Lola Quivoron

DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT
Europa Cinemas Label: “One Fine Morning,” Mia Hansen-Løve
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “The Mountain,” Thomas Salvador

CRITICS’ WEEK
Nespresso Grand Prize: “La Jauria,” Andres Ramirez Pulido
French Touch Prize: “Aftersun,” Charlotte Wells
GAN Foundation Award for Distribution: Urban Distribution, “The Woodcutter Story”
Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Zelda Samson, “Love According to Dalva” (pictured, right)

CINÉFONDATION
First Prize: A Conspiracy Man,” Valerio Ferrara
Second Prize: “Somewhere,” Li Jiahe
Third Prize — TIE: “Glorious Revolution,” Masha Novikova AND “Humans Are Dumber When Crammed Up Together,” Laurène Fernandez

CANNES BOSSES DRAW ON STAR WATTAGE AND PAST WINNERS IN 75TH FEST LINE-UP

Cannes festival president Pierre Lescure and general delegate/artistic director Thierry Frémaux shared the competition, Un Certain Regard and out of competition titles for the 75th edition of the event at a press conference overnight, held on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. 

Amongst the high-profile titles announced were new films from George Miller (Three Thousand Years of Longing, with Tilda Swinton), David Cronenberg (Crimes of the Future, with Kristen Stewart), Kelly Reichardt (Showing Up, a reteaming with star Michelle Williams) and James Gray (Armageddon Time, with Anne Hathaway) in the official selection. The Opening Slot was afforded to Z Comes Z (aka, Final Cut; pictured, below), the long-delayed zombie comedy from Michel Hazanvicius, Oscar winner for The Artist. (Pictured, above: Beast, from directors Riley Keough and Gina Gammell)

Frémaux also confirmed the World Premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, with star Tom Cruise attending, which will roll into a retrospective celebration of his career. Along with Baz Luhrman's Elvis, 20th-century rock legends will be celebrated in Ethan Coen’s out-of-competition doc Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind and Brett Morgen's  Moonage Daydream, a montage-driven midnight-movie tribute to David Bowie.

The competition lineup includes new work from several returning Palme d’Or winners - Ruben Östlund’s social satire Triangle of Sadness (pictured, below); Japanese helmer Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Korea-set Broker; Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s politically charged RMN; and, Belgian duo the Dardenne brothers’ immigrant-focused Tori and Lokita.

The 18-strong competition features three female directors; in addition to Reichardt, Claire Denis will premiere Stars at Noon, with Margaret Qualley, and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi debuts her 80s-set coming-of-age story, The Almond Tree.

Two Ukrainian filmmakers will present works -, Sergei Loznitsa (The Natural History of Destruction, invited as a ‘Special Screening’) and Maksim Nakonechnyi (Butterfly Vision, to screen in Un Certain Regard), along with one Russian, dissident director Kirill Serebrennikov, in competition with Tchaïkovski’s Wife.

Further announcements regarding 2022 title are expected in the days ahead, which may address the absence of Emanuele Crialese’s L'immensità, starring Penelope Cruz; director Haruki Murakami animated pic Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman; Rebecca Zlotowski’s Les Enfants des Autres; and, the Disney/Pixar tentpole Lightyear, all of which had been high on the pre-announcement radar.

The line-up for the 75th Festival de Cannes is: 

OPENING NIGHT (Out of Competition):
Z Comme Z / Final Cut (Dir: Michel Hazanvicius; France)

COMPETITION
The Almond Tree (Dir: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi; France)
Armageddon Time (Dir: James Gray; U.S.)
Boy From Heaven (Dir: Tarik Saleh; Sweden)
Broker (Dir: Kore-eda Hirokazu; Japan)
Brother and Sister / Frère et Sœur (Dir: Arnaud Desplechin, France)
Close (Dir: Lucas Dhont; Belgium)
Crimes of the Future (Dir: David Cronenberg; Canada)
Decision to Leave (Dir: Park Chan-Wook; South Korea)
Eo / Hi-Han (Dir: Jerzy Skolimowski; Poland)
Holy Spider (Dir: Ali Abbasi; Iran)
Leila’s Brothers (Dir: Saeed Roustaee; Iran)
Nostalgia (Dir: Mario Martone; Italy)
RMN (Dir: Cristian Mungiu; Romania)
Showing Up (Dir: Kelly Reichardt; U.S.)
Stars at Noon (Dir: Claire Denis; France)
Tchaïkovski’s Wife (Dir: Kirill Serebrennikov; Russia)
Tori and Lokita (Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne; Belgium)
Triangle of Sadness (Dir: Ruben Östlund; Sweden)

UN CERTAIN REGARD
All the People I’ll Never Be / Retour à Séoul (Dir: Davy Chou; Cambodia)
Beast (Dirs: Riley Keough and Gina Gammell; U.S.)
Burning Days (Dir: Emin Alper; Turkey)
Butterfly Vision (Dir: Maksim Nakonechnyi; Ukraine)
Corsage (Dir: Marie Kruetzer; Austria)
Domingo and the Mist (Dir: Ariel Escalante Meza; Costa Rica)
Joyland (Dir: Saim Sadiq; Pakistan)
Metronom (Dir: Alexandru Belc; Romania)
Plan 75 (Dir: Hayakawa Chie; Japan)
Rodeo (Dir: Lola Quivoron; France)
Sick of Myself (Dir: Kristoffer Borgli)
The Silent Twins (Dir: Agnieszka Smocynska; Poland)
The Stranger (Dir: Thomas M. Wright; Australia)
Volada Land (Dir: Hlynur Pálmason; Iceland)
The Worst / Les Pires (Dirs: Lise Akora and Romane Gueret; France)

OUT OF COMPETITION
Elvis (Dir: Baz Luhrmann; U.S.-Australia)
Mascarade (Dir: Nicolas Bedos; France)
November (Dir: Cédric Jimenez; France)
Three Thousand Years of Longing (Dir: George Miller; Australia)
Top Gun: Maverick (Dir: Joseph Kosinski; U.S.)

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
Fumer Fait Tousser (Dir: Quentin Dupieux; France)
Hunt (Dir: Lee Jung-Jae; S. Korea)
Moonage Daydream (Dir: Brett Morgen; U.S.)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS
All That Breathes (Dir: Shaunak Sen; India)
The Natural History of Destruction (Dir: Sergei Loznitsa; Ukraine)
Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind (Dir: Ethan Coen; U.S.)

CANNES PREMIERE
Dodo (Dir: Panos H. Koutras; Greece)
Irma Vep (Dir: Olivier Assayas; France)
Nightfall (Dir: Marco Bellocchio; Italy)
Nos Frangins (Dir: Rachid Bouchareb; France)

“I CALL ON THE WORLD TO UNITE AGAINST PUTIN’S RUSSIA”; UKRAINIAN FILM INDUSTRY RALLIES IN DEFIANCE.

In the late 1960s, as the majority of Soviet filmmakers were adhering to the stark paradigms of ‘social realism’ cinema, director Serhiy Paradzhanov was forging an elevated film style called ‘Ukrainian Poetic Cinema’. Those three words speak of the elegance of Ukrainian film culture and the role it represents to the nation and its population; an artform that embraces life in the independent democracy with optimism and grace.

In the days after Russia’s declaration of war against the sovereign state of Ukraine, key figures in contemporary Ukrainian film culture spoke to the website Cineuropa.org about their reactions to Putin’s assault and how they hope the rest of the world will react.  

OLEH SENTSOV (pictured, right)
Director - Rhino (2020); Numbers (2021): “Putin does not dwell on Ukraine. This is a full-scale war. This is a challenge to the whole democratic world. We are not only defending our land; we are resisting the impending tyranny. The time of concern is over. It is time to fight for freedom and truth.”

VALENTYN VASYANOVYCH 
Director - Reflection (2021); Atlantis (2019): “I am staying in Kyiv. I want to be among people who are aware of their ethnic, cultural and political affiliation. I want to be among these people to gain important experiences that will help me create true stories about them. I want to be part of a force that will lead to the destruction of the evil empire.”

MARYNA ER GORBACH (pictured, right)
Director - Love Me (2013); Omar and Us (2019) Klondike (2022): “Dear colleagues…every minute of delay in making influential decisions takes away the lives of Ukrainians now and every life outside Ukraine in the future. World security is in the hands of the Ukrainian army. Be brave and determined, support the demands of Ukrainian politicians. Do it for the future of your own children!”

ANNA MACHUKH
Executive Director of the Ukrainian Film Academy and the Odesa International Film Festival: “These actions are unforgivable and will never be forgotten. Now more than ever, Ukraine needs the help of the international community, not only their support and concern, but with certain actions. It’s not the time now to bury your head in the sand. It's time to call out. Russia has started the war against Ukraine, and tomorrow it may be at your door.”

NATALIA VOROZHBYT (pictured, right)
Director - Bad Roads (2020): “We live in the centre of Europe, in the 21st century, in Ukraine. Our closest neighbours are Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Baltics and Romania. Nearby are Germany, France, Italy – we go there by car. This is not just our war; it will affect every European. It can destroy our world. Your participation, support and help are very much needed now, as well as your speeches, protests, money, weapons and sanctions. I call on the world to unite against Putin's Russia and win together.”

IRYNA TSILYK (pictured, right)
Director - The Earth Is Blue as an Orange (2020); Home (2016): “We see the real face of Russian fascism now. The Russian dictator has started a full-scale invasion in Ukraine…It is important to understand that the Russian neo-Führer and the millions of his voiceless or agreeable people have started the war not only against Ukraine, but against the whole of Europe and the whole Western world…The main thing is not [to] watch silently as the leviathan is trying to devour Ukraine. Your country could be the next one in his crosshairs.”

NARIMAN ALIEV 
Director - Homeward (2019): “Ukraine is fighting for its freedom and for its right to freedom. The Russian Federation is no longer ashamed to attack a sovereign country in front of the eyes of the entire world. We need support and assistance: military, economic, informational. Go to the squares in your cities and put pressure on the leaders of your countries to provide real assistance to Ukraine. Why do we have a voice if we are afraid to use it to destroy evil and avoid innocent people suffering?”

Originally published at Cineuropa.org, February 25 2022.

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