The filmmakers who came to present their film in Deauville (Calvados) sufficiently greeted and thanked the public present at the screenings, “despite the sun”, so that we mention it too. Spectators have indeed shown their loyalty to the American Film Festival, including the 48e edition is held until Sunday September 11, with full rooms from morning until evening, proof that the public’s curiosity about cinema remains strong in a general context of declining cinema attendance.
Because on the red carpet, this year, few big stars and headliners (Ana de Armas was to walk the red carpet, Friday, September 9, for the film Blonde hair) likely to swell the crowds more than reason. But rather young directors, directors, actors and actresses little known, reflections of a selection which was essentially developed on first feature films. Eight in total out of the thirteen in competition.
A choice that the director of the festival, Bruno Barde, fully claims, with however one regret. “I had actually selected fourteen films. But one escaped me: Tar, by Todd Field, with Cate Blanchett. I had the agreement of Universal Studios and everyone else, and then Venice came through and took it away”, he regrets, before pushing his rant. “Since he directed the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera has never ceased to want to compete with Cannes by bringing in as many American stars as possible and for this he benefits from the authorized presence at his festival of platforms such as Netflix. This stupid race, if it brings a certain media influence to Venice, harms in my opinion the requirement and the quality of its selection. »
In the midst of these little wars between festivals, Deauville is trying, against all odds, to carve out a place apart, henceforth tracing its editorial line outside of major Hollywood productions and blockbusters. “Our vocation has effectively refocused on independent cinema, with the ambition, always, to discover what others will one day devote”, says Bruno Barde.
This is how films have been brought to light in Deauville which have revealed major signatures. Among others: Little Odessa (1994), by James Gray; Pi (1998), by Darren Aronofsky but also his film Mother! (2017); Little Miss Sunshine (2006), by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris; Take Shelter (2011), by Jeff Nichols; Night Moves (2013), by Kelly Reichardt… Many young filmmakers too, despite promising beginnings discovered in the seaside town, then disappeared from the radar.
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