Cannes

Wim Wenders' ANSELM celebrates its world premiere at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival  

Cannes International Film Festival, which will take place from May 16 to 27, 2023, has announced its program in further sections this week. The films of the Sélection Officielle have been published, and Un Certain Regard, Quinzaine des Réalisateurs and the Semaine de la Critique have also announced their selection. Germany is represented in the Séances Spéciales section with Wim Wenders’ new documentary ANSELM. Two German short films will have their world premieres as part of the Quinzaine des Cinéastes. 12 minority co-productions also made it into the Cannes line-up in 2023.

The German production ANSELM by Wim Wenders (Road Movies) will be presented as a world premiere in the Special Screening section of the renowned festival on the Croisette. The documentary by the exceptional director delves deep into the work of the artist Anselm Kiefer and sheds light on his life, inspiration, and his creative process. Past and present are interwoven in the documentary to diffuse the line between film and painting, allowing the audience to be completely immersed in the remarkable world of one of the greatest contemporary artists, Anselm Kiefer. Wenders filmed Anselm Kiefer's portrait in 3D over a period of two years. HanWay Films UK handles the worldwide distribution of the documentary.

Another film by Wim Wenders, PERFECT DAYS, is part of this year's International Competition in Cannes. The film is a co-production by Wenders Images with Japan with a minority German participation.

In the Quinzaine des Cinéastes series, two German short films will celebrate their world premiere:

Firstly, the German-French-Italian co-production IL COMPLEANNO DI ENRICO (THE BIRTHDAY PARTY) by Francesco Sossai, produced by the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) and the French production company KIDAM - a short film about being a child and the way we are remembering things from our childhood. In the 17-minute drama with autobiographical content, the filmmaker directs his gaze to his native Italy in the last days of the millennium, around the time of the anticipation of the ‘Millennium bug’.

Furthermore, the romantic thriller THE RED SEA MAKES ME WANNA CRY (DE/ JOR), the graduation film by Faris Alrjoob at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, is part of the Quinzaine des Cinéastes. Alrjoob, an interdisciplinary artist working in the fields of film, video art and performance, tells the story of Ida, who is haunted by the death of her partner Ismail, and travels to the site of his disappearance, hoping to be close to him one last time.

A total of 12 minority German co-productions made it into the 2023 line-up of the Cannes International Film Festival.

Actor Franz Rogowski (GREAT FREEDOM) will be part of the jury at this year's Semaine de la Critique. The committee of the Cannes side series awards the prizes to the best film, the best actors, and the best short film, among others.

German actress Sandra Hüller (I’M YOUR MAN, TONI ERDMANN​​​​​​​) can be seen in two films in the International Competition for the Palme d'Or - both in Justine Triet's French drama ANATOMIE D'UNE CHUTE and in THE ZONE OF INTEREST by the British director Jonathan Glazer.

German Films on location in Cannes:

German Pavilion (#124)

Village International - Riviera

1 Boulevard de la Croisette

06400 Cannes

Contact:

Sylva Häutle (Head of Festival Relations and Producers Liaison)

Eva-Maria Pellikan (Head of Communications & Marketing)

Photo credits:

ANSELM © 2023, Road Movies; photograph by Wim Wenders

Wim Wenders © Gerhard Kassner