Minutes after unveiling a lineup dominated by European auteurs for Cannes’ 79th edition, festival chief Thierry Frémaux was hit with a barrage of questions about Hollywood’s absence. This year’s roster features a nearly unprecedented number of French-language films and, for now, one single American filmmaker — Ira Sachs — in competition. That could still evolve, however, as Frémaux confirmed to Variety he is hoping to add James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” at a later stage.
“We saw James Gray’s film, which is a wonderful film — a very James Gray film, very indie. It’s the James Gray of ‘Little Odessa,’ it’s the James Gray who has never stopped being himself,” Frémaux said, noting the project was “complicated to put together” and that “there are still some contractual issues to resolve.” He added, “I hope they’ll be settled very soon and that we’ll be able to announce the film.”
But the European flavor of this year’s competition is no coincidence, he stressed — it reflects a broader industry shift. “It’s true that there’s been a bit of a geographical realignment. Europe is strong, perhaps because the United States is a bit weaker, since studio films are less prevalent. Studios are less prominent,” he said.
The momentum, he said, reflects the strength of the European film ecosystem and France’s growing role within it. Many of the foreign language films that were nominated at the Oscars and premiered at Cannes last year, notably Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” and Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent,” were either produced or financed with French players.
“France has a stable film industry, a strong film industry, one that supports foreign cinema … The French ecosystem is a fairly strong ecosystem,” he said, noting that producers, buyers and distributors are actively working across borders, helping to position the country as a creative and financial hub.
The trend will be visible on the Croisette, as three of the French-language films premiering in competition are directed by foreign directors: Asghar Farhadi with “Parallel Tales,” starring Isabelle Huppert and Catherine Deneuve; Ryusuke Hamaguchi with “All of a Sudden,” starring Virginie Efira and Mari Morisaki; and Laszlo Nemes with “Moulin,” starring Gilles Lellouche as French Resistance hero Jean Moulin.
“Artists — and this year it’s particularly impressive — have come to shoot in Paris … They found a home here, they found a refuge through very friendly professional relationships,” Frémaux said. “Perhaps in their eyes, France continues to be a country of cinema, and they want, in a way, to be part of that cinematic landscape.”
Even as Hollywood studios scale back, Frémaux argued that American independent cinema remains vibrant. As such, a number of American filmmakers will present their latest works, notably Jane Schoenbrun with “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” and Jordan Firstman’s directorial debut “Club Kid” in Un Certain Regard; while Steven Soderbergh and Ron Howard will also each show new documentaries in the Special Screenings section on John Lennon and photographer Richard Avedon, respectively.
“There are people in America who want to continue making films their own way, independently… without necessarily working with the studios, without necessarily working with streaming platforms, or by doing both,” he said.
Still, the absence of major studio titles also comes down to the cost of attending Cannes, Frémaux argued. “They need to relearn how to travel light. What we want to show are films. A film, a director — that’s enough,” Frémaux said, adding that studios are now more focused on domestic release strategies and U.S. theatrical constraints.
Below, Frémaux speaks more with Variety and unpacks this year’s lineup.
There are a huge number of French-language films in the official selection this year, especially in competition. What does it say about the creative landscape today and the evolution of the industry?
It’s true that there’s been a bit of a geographical realignment. Europe is strong, perhaps because the United States is a bit weaker, since studio films are less prevalent. Studios are less prominent, and at the same time, there is still a significant independent American film scene. But there are also new countries carving out a small niche for themselves, not just in the official selection we just announced, but even in the selection process itself. Films from 142 countries were represented in the selection we’ve seen. I believe this opens up opportunities for these countries to make their mark. There’s a bit of a geographical redefining of the world.
And France — which has a stable film industry, a strong film industry, one that supports foreign cinema — is a country that, as a result, may be gaining more importance. It has nothing to do with Cannes. It has to do with French professionals who are on the lookout, who support cinema elsewhere, who have buyers and sellers who go abroad.
The competition will also showcase foreign filmmakers like Laszlo Nemes, Asghar Farhadi and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who made their films in France and with French talent.
Yes. There’s the fact that artists — and this year it’s particularly impressive — have come to shoot in Paris. It remains the work of the Japanese filmmaker Hamaguchi and the Iranian filmmaker Farhadi, but they found a home here, they found a refuge through very friendly professional relationships with their co-producers or distributors. Alexandre Mallet-Guy [founder of the distribution company Memento], for example, plays a key role in the relationship between Asghar Farhadi and France. It’s the same with Hamaguchi. Something began with “Drive My Car,” which he made when he was young, and so on. And now, they’re settling in. And perhaps in their eyes, France continues to be a country of cinema, and they want, in a way, to be part of that cinematic landscape. And we’re proud of that. This is how the year has shaped up. We’ll also have French-language films from Belgium. A lot of these films revolve around France, around Europe. And let’s not forget that while Italy isn’t here, Spain is very strong. So, maybe next year, Italy will be here and Spain won’t. Europe continues to have a very strong film industry.
And America — we’ve talked about the studios scaling down, but what about independent films? Do you think the U.S. indie industry is in good shape based on what you’ve seen?
Yes, we work a lot with creators, agents and directors, of course. There are people in America who want to continue making films their own way, independently, without necessarily working with the studios, without necessarily working with streaming platforms, or by doing both. One doesn’t exclude the other. But I find that there’s still a renewed emphasis on the idea of creating a cinematic work as a prototype. A cinematic work is a singular film that isn’t a series, as the name implies. A feature film is a single film. And an artist might feel more like they’re truly creating, inventing stories and characters, with a feature film. And you get the sense that, in any case, it remains the dream.
Could James Gray come to Cannes with “Paper Tiger”? What message would you like to send to him today?
We saw James Gray’s film, which is a wonderful film — a very James Gray film, very indie. It’s the James Gray of “Little Odessa,” it’s the James Gray who has never stopped being himself. And it’s a film that was complicated to put together because, for him, to do his work as a filmmaker, he doesn’t just snap his fingers — films have to be put together. So there are still some contractual issues to resolve. I hope they’ll be settled very soon and that we’ll be able to announce the film.
There are a lot of studios and directors who are hesitant to go to a festival now. Why are they so afraid of criticism?
No, I don’t think so. Criticism was perhaps much more intense in the past, and filmmakers used to come. No, something has changed a bit, perhaps, in the attitude of Americans — because the rest of the world comes willingly to Cannes. Americans in the industry all come to Cannes — the artists — but the studios, there’s perhaps also a certain reluctance to … They need to relearn how to travel light. What we want to show are films. A film, a director — that’s enough.
But today, the world has changed; the media world has changed. Coming to present a film at a major festival like Cannes requires you to prepare in a certain way. And then, I think — and I can understand this very well — that the studios also want to prioritize the domestic market. They want to take into account, above all, the scheduling constraints tied to the U.S. territory and to U.S. theaters. And I can’t blame them for that. First and foremost, we have to protect cinema in theaters and cultivate new generations of audiences.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
