Planning the Cannes film festival with an audience – opening film »Annette« with Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver

Nine years ago, the French film director Leos Carax brought a feature film to the screen for the last time – “Holy Motors” was in the competition for the Palme d’Or in Cannes. The festival has now announced that a new film by Carax will open the Cannes Festival in 2021: »Annette« will be shown on July 6th, with Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver, two internationally known film stars, playing the leading roles.

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»Annette« is set in Los Angeles and tells the story of the stand-up comedian Henry (Driver) and the soprano Ann (Cotillard), whose lives are completely changed by the birth of their first child, Annette. According to a trailer, the original story comes from the Californian pop duo Sparks, who also wrote the music for »Annette«.

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It is the first film by Leos Carax to be shot in English, which, after notable successes such as “Boy Meets Girl” and “The Night is Young”, became known worldwide in 1991 with the love drama “The Lovers of Pont-Neuf” set in Paris. In addition to Juliette Binoche, Denis Lavant also played a leading role, who was also featured in “Holy Motors”, Carax’s 2012 competition entry.

»Annette« has a long and complex history of genesis; When the film was first announced in 2016, Rooney Mara and Rihanna were co-stars alongside Adam Driver. Meanwhile, Amazon Studios was on board as a production company; there were delays because of Driver’s “Star Wars” mission. Simon Helberg (Howard from “Big Bang Theory”) and Belgian pop singer Angèle will also be featured in the now wacky film.

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The film is to be shown after the opening ceremony in the Grand Théâtre Lumière in the Festival Palace of Cannes and to participate in the competition for the Palme d’Or, it is said in an announcement by the festival organization on Monday morning. Its jury will be chaired by US director Spike Lee in 2021.

“We couldn’t have dreamed of a better reunion of the cinema and the big screen than in this festival palace, where films prove their splendor,” enthused the festival’s director, Thierry Frémaux. Carax’s cinema reveals “the powerful gestures and the mysterious alchemies that represent the secret of modernity and the infinity of cinema”.

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The public health situation in Europe and the world will be kept in view, the statement said, as well as the reopening of the cultural sites, which is planned for mid-May. However, the festival management will continue to plan the event in 2021 with confidence and determination.

The opening ceremony of the 74th Cannes Film Festival on July 6th will be shown in France on the subscription channel Canal + and in selected film theaters. The opening film »Annette« is due to open in French cinemas on the same date.

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