From Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan (23 years old) to veteran Japanese director Koji Wakamatsu (76 years old), via Brandon Cronenberg (son of the more famous David Cronenberg)’s first feature film, the programme for Un Certain Regard, an integral part of the official selection at the 65th Cannes Film Festival (from May 16 to 27), is curious and intriguing. It will also include two African feature films and new films by Argentinian director Pablo Trapero and Chinese director Lou Ye, both previously awarded at the festival.

Out of the 17 feature films in the programme this year, only four were directed by Europeans. Belgian director Joachim Lafosse will attend the festival for the first time as part of the official selection with Aimer à perdre la raison (news). France will be represented by four directors with Trois mondes (lit. “Three worlds”) by Catherine Corsini (article), Confession of a Child of the Century by Sylvie Verheyde (article), and Le grand soir (lit. “The big night”) by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern (article).

French productions have also been selected, with The Pirogue by Senegalese director Moussa Touré (article) and God’s Horses by Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch (also co-produced by Belgium). Spain and France also co-produced White Elephant by Pablo Trapero (featuring Belgian actor Jérémie Renier). Finally, France and Spain joined forces to produce anthology film 7 dias en La Habana by Laurent Cantet, Julio Medem, Benicio Del Toro, Gaspar Noé, Elia Suleiman, Juan Carlos Tabío, and Pablo Trapero.

As in the Cannes competition (read more), North America stands out with four films: two from Canada, one from the United States, and one from Mexico. Asia is also well represented this year at the Certain Regard with the same number of films: one from China, one from Japan, one from India, and one from Kazakhstan. Finally, Latin America has two feature films in the selection: one from Argentina and one from Colombia.

UN CERTAIN REGARD
Laurence Anyways – Xavier Dolan
Miss Lovely – Ashim Ahluwalia
La playa – Juan Andrés Arango
God’s Horses – Nabil Ayouch
Trois Mondes – Catherine Corsini
Antiviral – Brandon Cronenberg
7 dias en La Habana – Laurent Cantet. Julio Medem, Benicio Del Toro, Gaspar Noé, Elia Suleiman, Juan Carlos Tabío & Pablo Trapero
Le grand soir – Delepine Kervern
Aimer à perdre la raison – Joachim Lafosse
Despues de Lucia – Michel Franco
Mystery – Lou Ye
Student – Darezhan Omirbayev
The Pirogue – Moussa Toure
White Elephant – Pablo Trapero
Confession of a Child of The Century – Sylvie Verheyde
11.25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate – Koji Wakamatsu
Beasts of the Southern Wild – Benh Zeitlin