Two years ago, Noémie Merlant wowed audiences with her incredible performance as the lead actress in “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” The film would premiere to rapturous reviews and go on to dominate many critics’ top ten lists at the year’s end. And for Merlant, it served as a breakout performance that made film fans take notice and look out for everything she might have coming up. That brings us to 2021 and yet another major Cannes debut for Merlant, the new feature “Mi Iubita Mon Amour.”
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Debuting at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, “Mi Iubita Mon Amour” isn’t just another showcase of Merlant’s acting ability, but it’s also her directorial debut, which she co-wrote alongside Gimi-Nicole Covaci. With the film’s premiere happening this week, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive look at a clip from the upcoming romantic drama. In the film, Merlant plays a 27-year-old woman visiting Romania with her friends when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to a much younger boy, as they share a very memorable vacation together.
In addition to Merlant, the film also features Gimi Covaci, Sanda Codreanu, Clara Lama-Schmit, and Alexia Lefaix in the cast.
As mentioned, one of the primary reasons we’re so excited for “Mi Iubita Mon Amour” is the fact that Merlant is showing off her directorial skills in the new film, in her feature directorial debut. We’ve seen quite a few French actresses go on to become acclaimed filmmakers in their own right, with two popular modern examples being Mélanie Laurent and Julie Delpy. So, it’ll be exciting to see if Merlant can join that group of women and not only wow us with her acting but also her filmmaking ability.
As mentioned, “Mi Iubita Mon Amour” debuts this week at the Cannes Film Festival. A traditional theatrical release date has yet to be revealed. You can watch the exclusive clip from the film below.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Jeanne is traveling to Romania to celebrate her bachelorette party with her friends when she meets Nino. She is 27, he is 17, and they are worlds away from one another, yet for the two of them it is the beginning of a passionate and timeless summer.
Follow along with our full Cannes 2021 coverage here.