The spring is always a bit of a head-spinning time to be a cinephile. In addition to the onslaught of big money blockbusters, the arthouse world rolls out its finest at the Cannes Film Festival and sidebar lineups. And this week kicks off with big news about the lineups in those sister festivals.
For those who thought that "Tabu" director Miguel Gomes‘ epic "Arabian Nights" would be headed to the main show, guess again. THR reveals that the six-hour movie will instead screen at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. “The breath-taking triptych is inspired by the tales told by Scheherazade and by some events that occurred in Portugal between 2013 and 2014, while the country was subjected to a political power denying all forms of social justice,” the festival’s Artistic Director Edouard Waintrop said.
Meanwhile, Cannes Critics’ Week has unveiled their slate, and the starriest attraction is Elie Wajeman’s “The Anarchists,” which teams Tahar Rahim and Adele Exarchopoulos in the 1899-set story that follows Corporal Jean Albertini, who is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist organization only to fall for the leader’s girlfriend, Judith.
Check out the full lineup for the Critics’ Week below, followed by a new image from "Arabian Nights."
2015 CANNES CRITICS’ WEEK LINEUP
OPENER: “The Anarchists” (Elie Wajeman, France). Second film.
“Les deux amis” (Louis Garrel, France). First film.
CLOSER: “La Vie en grand” (Mathieu Vadepied, France). First film.
COMPETITION
“Degrade” (Arab and Tarzan Abunasser, Palestine). First film.
“Krisha” (Trey Edward Shults, U.S.). First film.
“Mediterranea” (Jonas Carpignano, Germany-U.S.-U.K.-Italy-France). First film.
“Ni le ciel, ni la terre” (Clement Cogitore, France). First film.
“Paulina” (Santiago Mitre, Argentina-Brazil-France). Second film.
“Sleeping Giant” (Andrew Cidivino, Canada). First film.
“La tierra y la sombra” (Cesar Acevedo, Colombia-Netherlands-Chile-Brazil). First film.
