With the Cannes International Film Festival slowly approaching, speculations about what the May event will have on offer are increasing.
Second-guessing festival director Gilles Jacob has always been difficult - except for the fact that he likes a continuity in his selection, for example by following directors in their development.
The renewed interest in Europe from the US, sparkled by the supremacy of overseas box office to domestic revenue will have Jacob drawning by the numbers of American candidates.
Titles for the benevolent consideration include Michael Corrente's American Buffalo, starring Dustin Hoffman, Robert Altman's Kansas City, Joel and Ethan Coen's Fargo, Abel Ferrara's The Funeral, Al Pacino's Looking for Richard and, from the same neighbourhood - Canada - David Cronenberg's Crash and Gregg Araki's Nowhere.
Non-US titles up for consideration are, from the UK, Mike Leigh's Secrets and Lies, Peter Greenaway's The Pillow Book, Stephen Frears' The Van - part three in the Roddy Doyle trilogy - together with Michael Winterbottom's Jude, Ken Loach's Carla's Song, Christopher Hampton's The Secret Agent, while Danny Boyle's Trainspotting will almost defintely find a slot in one of the official programmes.
Also from Europe are Bernardo Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty, Le huitieme jour (The Eighth Day) by Jaco van Dormael (Toto le héros), Julian Schnabel's Basquiqt, Francesco Rossi's The Truce< Spanish helmer Julio Medem's Tierra, Volker Schlöndorff's Der Unhold (The Ogre), Elective Affinities by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, and, from Scandinavia, Lars von Trier's Braking the Waves and Golden Palm-winner Bille August's Jerusalem.
Australian directors Peter Duncan's Children of the Revolution, and John Hillcoat's The Small Man could bring them both up from down under, joined by New Zealand's Jan Campion with Portrait of a Lady, as well as Clara Law's Floating Life. . This in addition to Indian director Mira Nair's variation of Kama Sutra, Brazilian director Carlos Diegues' Tieta.
Finally, Cannes candidates from Asia include Chen Kaige's Temptress Moon, and Jan Sun Woo's A Petal. By staff reporters
