The 60th edition of International Critics’ Week (La Semaine de la Critique) in Cannes will open with with Constance Meyer’s Robuste (Robust), starring Gérard Depardieu as we have rarely seen him before, unsettlingly truthful. In the film, when his right-hand man and only mate has to go away for a few weeks, Georges – an ageing film star – is given a substitute, Aïssa. The disillusioned actor and the young female security guard forge a special relationship. Also starring in the film are Déborah Lukumuena, Lucas Mortier, Megan Northam, Florence Janas and Steve Tientcheu.
International Critics’ Week will end with Tunisian filmmaker Leyla Bouzid elegant and voluptuous film, Une histoire d’amour et de désir (A Tale of Love and Desire). A captivating Zbeida Belhajamor: a young Tunisian student who’s come to Paris for her studies. An outstanding Sami Outalbali, a shy young man. With her, he discovers Arabic love poetry that leads him to face his roots and his own take on love. A beautiful, tender and voluptuous liberation through education, through studies that provide access to culture, love of books and love of words. A major film that has a particular and powerful resonance in this day and age. The film stars Sami Outalbali, Zbeida Belhajamor, Diong-Kéba Tacu, Aurélia Petit, Mahia Zrouki, Bellamine Abdelmalek, Mathilde La Musse, Samir Elhakim, and Sofia Lesaffre.
10 short and 7 feature films will compete under the watchful eyes of the President of the jury, Cristian Mungiu, who will give out the Nespresso Grand Prize, The Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award and the Leitz Cine Discovery Prize for short film.
International Critics’ Week (La Semaine de la Critique) 2021 Film Lineup
FEATURE FILMS
Special screenings
Opening Film
Robuste (Robust) | Constance Meyer
Special screenings
Les Amours d’Anaïs (Anaïs in Love) | Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet
Bruno Reidal (Bruno Reidal, Confessions of a Murderer) | Vincent Le Port
Petite Nature (Softie) | Samuel Theis
Une jeune fille qui va bien (A Radiant Girl) | Sandrine Kiberlain
Closing Film
Une histoire d’amour et de désir (A Tale of Love and Desire) | Leyla Bouzid
In competition
Amparo | Simón Mesa Soto
Feathers | Omar El Zohairy
Libertad | Clara Roquet
The Gravedigger’s Wife | Khadar Ayderus Ahmed
Olga | Elie Grappe
Piccolo Corpo (Small Body) | Laura Samani
Rien à Foutre (Zero Fucks given) | Julie Lecoustre &
Emmanuel Marre
SHORT FILMS
In competition
Brutalia, Days of Labour | Manolis Mavris
Duo Li (Lili Alone)| Zou Jing
Fang Ke (An Invitation) Hao Zhao & Yeung Tung
Inherent | Nicolai G.H Johansen
Interfon15 (Intercom 15) | Andrei Epure
Ma Shelo Nishbar (If It Ain’t Broke) | Elinor Nechemya
Noir-soleil | Marie Larrivé
Safe | Ian Barling
Soldat noir | Jimmy Laporal-Trésor
Über Wasser (On Solid Ground) | Jela Hasler