The world of cinema is echoing the same sentiment on missing Cannes right now. There’s #becannesrewind celebrating Cannes nostalgia, and there’s a great NY Times article featuring excerpts from 23 filmmakers on their memories of Cannes. My favorites among them are Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alice Rohrwacher, and Clint Eastwood. I am definitely with Claire Denis on May revolving around Cannes.
With the exception of 2018 when we had just arrived in California after a 33-day roadtrip across 14 states, my May triumvirate is Mother’s Day, my mother’s birthday, and Festival de Cannes. While making burger patties for dinner, I said to Martin that it’s a Cannes movie night. As we settled in to our own home cinema, I entertained the idea of simulating Cannes here by spending all day watching Cannes films and binging on rosé in-between. There are far worse ways to quarantine.
For tonight’s screening I chose Lazzaro Felice by Alice Rohrwacher, which was in competition in 2018 and awarded Best Screenplay. The film is a modern fairy tale and allegory about the past lost in the modern world. But it really is about friendship and, as Alice Rohrwacher writes, “It is the sanctity of living in this world without thinking ill of anyone and simply believing in human beings.” It is a beautiful film and moving story that is especially reaffirming at this moment in time.