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| In focus: David Hemmings in Antonioni’s trip around swinging London, part of Cannes Classics Photo: Cannes Film Festival |
The Cannes Film Festival organisers have put the accent on heritage cinema with a particular connection to the Festival itself in the 70th edition.
The selection of some 24 titles and five documentaries, mainly in brand new copies, covers the years from 1946 to 1992 and includes René Clément’s The Battle Of The Rails, shown at the very first event, where it won an international jury award and a best director award.
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| Danielle Darrieux who has celebrated her 100th birthday, as she appears in Max Ophüls’ Madame De… in 1953. Photo: Cannes Film Festival |
Other landmark titles announced today (3 May) are The Wages Of Fear by Henri-Georges Clouzot (shown in 1953); 1967’s Palme d’Or winner Blow-Up, Michelangelo Antonioni’s take on swinging London with David Hemmings, and the highly controversial (at the time in 1976) In The Realm Of The Senses (Ai No Korîda) by Nagisa Ôshima.
Coming more up to date aficionados be able to discover afresh Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz shown at the 1980 edition and Man Of Iron by Polish director Adrezej Wajda which on the Palme d’Or in 1981.
Veteran French actress Danielle Darrieux who has recently celebrated her 100th birthday will be on screen in Madame De… by Max Ophüls (1953) and also in a newly filmed interview.
The Classics programme started in earnest 15 years ago when digital technology ensured the preservation of heritage cinema in carefully restored copies, allowing a whole new audience to discover classics which often had been neglected or were unavailable.
The Festival runs from May 17 to 28.
