Motel Destino by Karim Aïnouz
The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, the world’s most influential event of its kind, commenced today in the French Riviera, heralding eleven days of premieres, red carpets, celebrity sightings, and a plethora of films. As customary, Cannes allocates limited slots for Latin American cinema, and this year is no exception, with only a selected number of films from the region making their world premieres at the prestigious festival.
The only Latin American film competing for the Palme d’Or in the festival’s official section is the Brazilian erotic thriller Motel Destino by director Karim Aïnouz, who returns to Cannes exactly one year after premiering his English-language debut, Firebrand, starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law, also in the main competition. Written by Wislan Esmeraldo and Mauricio Zacharias, the film stars Fábio Assunção, Nataly Rocha, and Iago Xavier, Motel Destino offers an intimate portrayal of a youth whose future is ensnared by a toxic and oppressive elite, where rebellion and violence often seem the only means of escape.
Also gracing the official competition is the French-Mexican musical crime comedy Emilia Pérez, written and directed by Jacques Audiard and featuring a stellar cast including Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, Édgar Ramírez, and Adriana Paz. Co-produced by Pimienta Films, known for Cuarón’s Roma, the film narrates the story of a woman assisting an escaped Mexican cartel leader in evading the authorities through sex reassignment surgery.
Cannes will host the world premiere of the documentary feature Ernest Cole, Lost and Found by Haitian director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro). Presented in the Special Screenings section, the film tells the poignant story of Ernest Cole, the first Black freelance photographer in South Africa, whose early images exposed the injustices of apartheid to the world.
Also featured in the Special Screenings sidebar is the documentary film Lula by Oliver Stone and Rob Wilson, an intimate and revelatory portrait of one of the world’s most influential political figures, Lula explores the rise, fall and triumphant return of beloved Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, chronicling his extraordinary journey in 2022 to regain the Brazilian presidency after spending nineteen months in prison.
Simon of the Mountain by Federico Luis
Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes' independent non-competitive sidebar, boasts a strong lineup of Latin American films this year. Argentina presents the feature Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed / Algo viejo, algo nuevo, algo prestado, a poignant tale by Hernán Roselli (Mauro), about a family in which the father disappears and the mother and daughter take family matters into their hands, alongside the short film Our Own Shadow by Agustina Sánchez Gavier.
From Brazil, directors Eryk Rocha and Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha bring The Falling Sky / A queda do céu / La Chute du ciel, a documentary based on a book by Bruce Albert and Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, exploring the beliefs of the Yanomami people. Chilean duo Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña will debut The Hyperboreans / Los hiperbóreos, a unique blend of animation, puppetry, theater, science fiction, and false biopic to delirious effects.
Additionally, as has been the case for some years now, the Morelia International Film Festival will screen a selection of short films as part of Directors’ Fortnight. This year's selection includes includes Extinction of the Species by Matthew Porterfield and Nicolasa Ruiz, Ha by María Almendra Castro Camacho, and The Navel / Xquipi (Ombligo) by Juan Pablo Villalobos Díaz.
Critics’ Week, Cannes' competitive parallel section, introduces three Latin American premieres: Simon of the Mountain / Simon de la montaña, the debut feature by Federico Luis of Argentina, Baby by Marcelo Caetano from Brazil, and the Mexican short film She Stays / Ella se queda by Marinthia Gutiérrez Velazco.
Simon of the Mountain follows a young man named Simon who, despite his unique skills, grapples with identity and change. Baby explores the complex relationship between Wellington and Ronaldo, set against the backdrop of São Paulo's streets, and in She Stays Laura waits for her destiny to arrive throughout a night out in downtown Tijuana.
The Cannes Classics section of the festival will pay tribute to Brazilian producer Lucy Barreto with a screening of the 1978 comedy road movie Bye Bye Brasil by Carlos Diegues, which follows the adventures of a small traveling circus as it wanders the countryside; and the 1958 Argentine mystery drama Rosaura at 10' O’Clock / Rosaura a las diez by Mario Soffici. The latter film tells the story of a meek old painter who, out of the blue, begins receiving love letters from Rosaura. Intrigued, his fellow boarding house tenants involve themselves in his relationship, until one day the mysterious Rosaura appears.
The Hyperboreans by Joaquín Cociña and Cristóbal León
The Cinéma de la Plage section, screening films outdoors at the beach for free, will showcase two Argentine films: Transmitzvah, the latest film by Daniel Burman, and a new restoration of Nine Queens / Nueve reinas, the 2000 heist movie by the late director Fabián Bielinsky. Transmitzvah is a love story between siblings that explores the transition to adulthood in the Jewish community. Meanwhile, Nine Queens tells the story of two small-time swindlers who team up after meeting in a convenience store and become embroiled in a half-million-dollar deal. As deceptions and duplicity mount, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern who is conning whom.
The Brazilian film Yellow / Amarelo by Andre Hayato Saito stands as the sole Latin American short film competing for the Palme d’Or. The film centers on a Japanese-Brazilian teenager who, on the day of the World Cup final between Brazil and France, rebels against her family traditions, confronts invisible violence, and navigates a tumultuous sea of emotions.
In the La Cinéfondation competition, which showcases student short films from around the world, Elevación by Gabriel Esdras from the Universidad de Guadalajara represents Mexico. The film tells the story of Fugazi, a depressed girl, and Samuel, a boy searching for his missing brother, as they witness their city being overrun by the army. Meanwhile, a burgeoning uprising simmers on the streets.
The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival runs May 14th through the 25th.
