PARIS -- Asia counts an unexceptional four films in the Cannes competition lineup announced Thursday. In contrast the Stars and Stripes will be flying high over the Croisette when the Cannes Film Festival's 60th anniversary edition unspools May 16-27.

Asian films that were selected were: "The Forest of Mogari," from Japanese helmer and 1997 Camera d'Or winner Naomi Kawase; "Secret Sunshine," from Korean Lee Chang-dong, who won the Venice Film Festival's special directors prize in 2002 for "Oasis"; and Kim Ki-duk's "Breath."

 Surprising omissions include Jiang Wen's "The Sun Also Rises" and Im Kwon-taek's hundredth movie "Across The Years." Hou Hsiao-hsien's "The Red Balloon" seemed to have Cannes written all over it - the Taiwanese helmer is a longtime fest darling and it's a French production starring Juliette Binoche - but the selection committee passed.

In a lineup of 21 competition titles there are no fewer than five American films: Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country for Old Men"; David Fincher's "Zodiac"; James Gray's "We Own the Night"; Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof," in a version of his "Grindhouse" contribution with an extra 10-15 minutes of footage; and Gus Van Sant's "Paranoid Park."

Even Wong Kar Wai's Cannes opener "My Blueberry Nights," is set in America and stars Norah Jones and Jude Law.

Artistic director Thierry Fremaux told Daily Variety that the festival had no fears about the film making it to Cannes on time, after the late arrival of "2046" three years ago. "We have been guaranteed that it will be ready," Fremaux said.

"Blueberry Nights" symbolizes the increasingly cross-border direction cinema is taking today, the topper added. "It is a Chinese director with European money and American actors shot in the U.S. It's a sign of a new world," Fremaux said. Commenting on the U.S.-heavy lineup, Fremaux said, "I belong to a generation of cinephiles for whom loving cinema means loving American cinema, and I've the feeling this is going to be a great year for American films, both auteur and mainstream."

The Un Certain Regard lineup, 17 titles of which were announced Thursday, will eventually comprise some 20 pics from the four corners of the globe. Three already hail from the Asian region: Chinese helmers Li Yang's "Mang Shan" and Diao Yinan's "Night Train," and Thai helmer Ekachai Uekrongtham's Singapore film "Pleasure Factory" ("Kuaile Gongchang.")

ASIAN FILMS IN CANNES 2007: OFFICIAL SELECTION

OPENER (in competition)
"My Blueberry Nights," Hong Kong-France-China, Wong Kar Wai

IN COMPETITION
"Breath," South Korea, Kim Ki-duk
"Mogari No Mor," Japan, Naomi Kawase

"Secret Sunshine," South Korea, Lee Chang-dong

UN CERTAIN REGARD
"Kuaile Gongchang," Thailand, Ekachai Uekrongtham
"Mang Shan," China, Li Yang
"Munyurangabo," U.S., Lee Isaac Chung
"Night Train," China, Diao Yi'nan

SPECIAL SCREENINGS
"He Fengming," China, Wang Bing

COMPETITION SHORTS
"Ah Ma," Singapore, Anthony Chen
"My Dear Rosseta," South Korea, Yang Hae-hoon

CINEFONDATION
"A Reunion," South Korea, Hong Sung-hoon
"Ru Dao," China, Chen Tao

© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bookmark with..

Comments (0)

Write comment

This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comment.

There is a problem with the comment system, or you do not have javascript enabled.