Hotting up in Cannes

Aftersun protagonists, Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio feature on the poster for this year’s Cannes Critics’ Week Photo: La Semaine de la Critique

With the launch of the official programme of the 76th Cannes Film Festival due with much baited breath in mid-April some of the sidebar sections are ready with revelations.

The 55th edition of the Directors' Fortnight reveals itself, “luminous and adventurous. Serene, with no frills,” according to the organisers.

The striking image is of Portuguese actress Leonor Silveira who is said to “question our gaze.”

Portuguese actress Leonor Silveira is the poster image for this year’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Photo: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs

The 2023 poster pays tribute to Manoel de Oliveira's Abraham’s Valley (inspired by Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its selection (1993 Directors' Fortnight).

As censorship was jeopardising the publication of his novel, Flaubert declared: "There is immorality in good writing". The Fortnight organisers suggest that: “From May 17 to 26, we invite you to a journey through singular, free-spirited and subversive films.”

Meanwhile the Critics’ Week already have put their 2023 image out there. Scottish director Charlotte Wells’ first feature, Aftersun, was discovered last year at La Semaine de la Critique, and has since found festival and awards success.

Photographer and artist Sarah Makharine captures a warm embrace between the protagonists, Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio. The Semaine organisers say the image offers: “A moment out of time, intimate and graceful, a simple gesture that envelops and reassures. Both a discovery and an encounter: two stunning actors meet across generations, revealing their potent and subtle interpretations of the film’s familiar - and yet novel - images.”

For the last 62 years, La Semaine de la Critique has been sharing its love of filmmaking, revealing the future of cinema by supporting short-film and feature-film directors as they offer (suggest the organisers) “fresh outlooks and thrills each and every year.”

Director Charlotte Wells added: “While Aftersun’s reception may make its selection last year easy to take for granted with hindsight, the truth is that the Semaine programming team took a huge chance on our film.

“As I look at this year’s poster, at the image of Paul and Frankie taken by our photographer and collaborator Sarah Makharine, I feel immense pride — pride for what we felt in the Miramar Theatre when the credits rolled at 1pm on May 21st, catalysing a remarkable year; pride for having had the chance to premiere my first feature film in the selection of La Semaine de la Critique.”

La Semaine de la Critique - the parallel selection dedicated to first and second films- will take place in Cannes between the 17 and 25 of May.