Watch them tonight, at the Cinéma de la plage

PREVIOUSLY AT THE CINÉMA DE LA PLAGE

Friday May 24

NUEVE REINAS (Nine Queens)
Fabian Bielinsky
2000 – 1h54 – Argentina

Juan and Marcos are two small-time swindlers, one a young man and the other a veteran in the art of swindling, who happen to get involved in an affair that could make them millionaires: they have less than a day to pull off a scam that can’t fail.

Why should you (re)watch this film?

This is the film that put Ricardo Darín on the map, long before Relatos salvajes (Wild Tales, in Competition in 2014) and Carancho (in the Un Certain Regard section in 2010). In Nueve reinas (Nine Queens), the Argentine actor plays one of two grifters on a crazy crime spree. This realistic thriller features scenes shot with a hidden camera on the streets of Buenos Aires, much to the surprise of passers-by who became unsuspecting extras.

 

Thursday May 23

ARMOUR OF GOD II: OPERATION CONDOR
Jackie Chan
1991 – 1h57 – China

Jackie Chan reprises his role as the famous adventurer Condor, who is commissioned by the United Nations in search of lost gold hidden by the Nazis during World War II. He teams up with Ada (Do Do Cheng), an expert on the desert and Elsa, the granddaughter of the aide who hid the gold 40 years ago. The three of them go on a roller coaster ride through the Sahara Desert as they battle local bandits and mercenaries.

Why should you (re)watch this film?

Beyond the clownish gags that make him so likeable, Jackie Chan is one of cinema’s greatest martial arts masters. Armour of God II: Operation Condor, the sequel to Armour of God (1986), sees the actor-director excel in a manic series of action scenes throughout its Indiana Jones-like quest.

 

Wednesday May 22

SLOCUM ET MOI
Jean-François Laguionie
2024 – 1h15 – Luxemburg, France
Screening in the presence of the film team

1950’s, France, by the serene banks of the Marne River.
François, a daydreaming child of boundless imagination, has his life changed when his father decides to start building a boat in the garden. Thus begins the family’s grand odyssey, a collective venture to construct a boat that would carry them away – somewhere between reality and reverie.

Why should you watch this film?

Like no one else, Jean-François Laguionie is able to recreate the feeling of being a child in each of his films, treasures of French animation since La Demoiselle et le Violoncelliste (The Lady and the Cellist) in 1965. At the 1978 Festival de Cannes, he won the Short Film Palme d’or for La Traversée de l’Atlantique à la rame (Rowing Across the Atlantic), a film whose theme—the sea—is close to his heart. Jean-François Laguionie will bring his team back together this evening for a preview screening of his film.

 

Thursday May 21

EXILS
Tony Gatlif
2004 – 1h43 – France
Screening in the presence of Tony Gatlif

One day, Zano proposes this somewhat crazy idea to his partner Naïma: cross France and Spain to reach Algiers and finally discover the land that their parents once had to flee.
Almost by defiance, with music as their only baggage, these two children of exile set out on the road. Lovers of freedom, they let themselves be intoxicated for a time by the sensuality of Andalusia – before deciding to cross the Mediterranean. From one encounter to another, from a techno rhythm to a flamenco tune, Zano and Naïma retrace the path of exile. With, at the end of the journey, the promise of reconquering themselves…

Why should you (re)watch this film?

When it comes to bringing music and film together, Tony Gatlif delights viewers film after film. In 2004, for Exils, he hired young actors Lubna Azabal and Romain Duris, pushing them into a trance in a dizzying scene in which the camera keeps following and losing them. In 2004, this film won Tony Gatlift the Best Director Award at the Festival de Cannes. This year, he returns to Cinéma de la Plage to present a restored version of the film.

 

Monday May 20 – A short night with Ghibli

TALES FROM EARTHSEA
Gorô Miyazaki
2006 – 1h55 – Japan

Terremer is a magical land dominated by seas and populated by dragons. Recently, the natural order has been broken by an evil sorcerer. Arren, young prince of the kingdom of Enlad, will join forces with the great magician Sparrowhawk to restore balance to the world. In the battle ahead, Arren and Sparrowhawk cross paths with Therru, a mysterious young girl. Together, they will overcome their fears and unite their destinies to embark on the most fascinating of journeys, through the darkness and onto the path of peace and redemption….

Followed by PORCO ROSSO
Hayao Miyazaki

1992 – 1h33 – Japan

Between the wars, at the height of Fascism, somewhere in Italy, Marco Pagot, an outstanding pilot with a passion for freedom, falls victim to a spell. He becomes a bounty hunter, setting up his hideout on a deserted island in the Adriatic Sea. Nicknamed Porco Rosso by his enemies, the hijackers and brigands of all stripes, he takes on the best aviators in aerial duels aboard his splendid red seaplane. Guided by the memory of his comrades-in-arms and his spirit of solidarity, he flies to the aid of the weak, and one day finds love. But who will unlock the secret of his metamorphosis?

Why should you (re)watch these films?

It’s mini Ghibli night! The Festival de Cannes proudly celebrates the Honorary Palme d’or awarded to the legendary Japanese studio by presenting works by two generations of the family that has contributed so much to the global reach of Japanese animé.

 

Sunday May 19

INDIGENES (Days of Glory)
Rachid Bouchareb
2006 – 2h10 – France
Screening in the presence of Rachid Bouchareb

1943. They had not yet set foot in France, but because it’s war, Saïd, Abdelkader, Messaoud and Yassir are going to join the French army to free the motherland from the Nazi enemy, like 130 000 other “natives”. These heroes, forgotten by History, will vanquish in Italy, in Provence, and in the Vosges before finding themselves alone defending a village in Alsace against a German battalion.

Why should you (re)watch this film?

Indigènes (Days of Glory) made history at the Festival de Cannes in 2006 by paying tribute to the North African infantrymen who fought on the front line during the Second World War. On the steps on the evening of the screening, four of them were present, alongside Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Sami Bouajila, Roschdy Zem and Bernard Blancan, all of whom received the Best Actor award. Eighteen years on, Rachid Bouchareb will present a restored version of his film at the beach.

 

Saturday, May 18

TRANSMITZVAH
Daniel Burman
2024 – 1h40 – Argentina
Screening in the presence of the film team

TRANSMITZVAH is a love story between siblings. They exhibit their wounds, exchange the pieces of each other’s puzzle, and complete (or start) the process of reaffirming their own identity. Rubén –the Singmans’ youngest son– challenges tradition by deciding to have a Bat Mitzvah instead of a Bar Mitzvah. Twenty years later, Rubén –now MUMY SINGER– returns to their hometown as a famous Yiddish singing star. After a sad event in the family, MUMY loses her voice and, with the help of her brother EDUARDO, tries to complete the path to adult life. A comedy with a jolly, playful, and musical dialogue about MUMY SINGER, and her trip to the past to make herself up, avoiding shortcuts and labels. The journey to who we really are can’t be avoided and must necessarily be taken.

Why should you watch this film?

After sitting on the Un Certain Regard Jury in 2021, Daniel Burman looks forward to presenting Transmitzvah on the beach at Cannes. Being screened in its world première, the film marks the Argentine director’s return to the big screen after eight years working on TV series.

 

Friday May 17

AFTER HOURS
Martin Scorsese
1985 – 1h37 – USA

Paul, a tidy, fragile and solitary young man, works in a major New York bank. One evening, he meets an enigmatic girl, Marcy, who leads him through the bohemian district of Soho on a strange and dangerous adventure…

Why should you (re)watch this film?

After Hours was a resounding success for Martin Scorsese, winning him the Best Director Award at the 1986 Festival de Cannes. At the time, the director was recovering from a slump after The Last Temptation of Christ, which was not released until 1988, had created a plethora of issues for him. With After Hours, a black comedy set in night-time New York, Scorsese really struck a chord with his audience.

 

Thursday May 16

MY WAY
Thierry Teston in collaboration with Lisa Azuelos
2024 – 1h18 – France
Screening in the presence of the film team

My Way is much more than a song; this major score has crossed eras, borders and generations. It’s an anthem that has become part of us and a permanent part of music history.
My Way is also one of the most covered songs ever, from Sid Vicious to Tom Jones, not to mention Nina Simone or Pavarotti.
However, many people are unaware that it was initially conceived in France, by the pool of Claude François’ mansion on a summer afternoon in 1967, and that a succession of fortuitous meetings and sleepless nights had guided her across the Atlantic towards the man who would make her a Legend.
In a form of a biopic, the documentary MY WAY tells the story of the genesis of a mythical song and how it became part of the Hall of fame.

Why should you watch this film?

Few songs can claim to have had an adventure as epic as this one. Although the French mainly know it as “Comme d’habitude”, it was Sinatra’s American adaptation of the song that made “My Way” a worldwide anthem. The beach screening will be presented by the film’s crew.

 

Wednesday, May 15

MOI AUSSI
Judith Godrèche
2024 – 17mins – France
Screening in the presence of the film team

At the dawn of a new day, a young woman finds an entire crowd staring her straight in the eye. Each face evokes a story from the past. That young woman becomes the voice of those countless stories. Each one is different, yet together, they forge a path forward — from unspeakable pain to the beginnings of liberation through the spoken word.

Why should you watch this film?

Judith Godrèche’s fight goes beyond her own personal story and the cinema industry. The actress, director and producer is an advocate for women and men who, like her, have experienced trauma and, through film, she’s leading a shared journey towards recovery. Judith Godrèche and her team will be in attendance on the beach for this screening.

Followed by SILEX AND THE CITY
Jean-Paul Guigue & Julien Berjeaut
2024 – 1h20 – France, Belgium
Screening in the presence of the film team

In a prehistory doomed never to evolve, a conflicted father and daughter shake up the Stone Age routine. After a trip to the future, they accidentally bring back an Ikea “bent key” that will finally trigger evolution, for better or worse…

Why should you watch this film?

Since 2009, Silex and the City has been delighting readers with its clever wordplay. Set in prehistoric times, in a way that highlights very current issues, this comic book series was adapted as a television series for Arte and is now being made into a feature film for the first time, combining 2D and live action.

 

Tuesday, May 14

TRAINSPOTTING (4K Restoration)
Danny Boyle
1995 – 1h34 – UK

A jolt of adrenaline shot straight to the heart of 1990s British cinema, this darkly funny adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel was a major breakthrough for director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter John Hodge. With live-wire energy and stylistic verve, Trainspotting bounces across the life and times of Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor), a Scottish heroin addict who, along with his misfit mates, gets high, gets in trouble, gets clean, and gets high again, all in a bid to outrun the banality of modern existence. Kinetically cut to an iconic soundtrack of techno, rock, and Brit-pop, this indie phenomenon chooses life in all its ugly, beautiful, terrifying exhilaration.

Why should you (re)watch this film?

A cult film before its release, Trainspotting was the talk of the town from the moment it was shown at a Special Screening at the Festival de Cannes in 1996. With its wicked sense of humour, Danny Boyle’s third feature film depicts disillusioned youth in post-Thatcherite society. It’s also the film that launched the career of Ewan McGregor, who appeared two years earlier in Shallow Grave, also directed by Boyle.